Secrets of the Lost
by Graceles1der89
Summary: Hermione Granger went missing the night of the final battle, after everything was over. Nobody knows where she went or what made her run. But now, 'Mya Marie Lukas' has no choice. She's coming back to face her past. Whether she likes it or not.
1. Chapter 1

**This is my first story in a long time so thank you for reading it. I started a few about ten years ago, but never got more than a chapter done. Don't worry. I already have the second chapter started and have notes for the rest of the story. This one will be finished! Just a few notes before you get started. This is based loosely off one of my favorite stories from when I was younger. I don't remember the name of the fanfic now, but it was never finished and so I was always writing the endings myself. I started writing this story along with my other stories and just recently found it. I decided to make some edits and such and then continue the story. I know some of the age lines for the kids aren't right and I've added some things here and there to make it fit with the story I had before. I hope you enjoy it!**

**Disclaimer****: JK Rowling owns most of the characters and backstories. If you don't recognize it from the Harry Potter books or anything else Rowling has published, then it belongs to me!**

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_**Chapter One**_

"Just because I let them go, doesn't mean I want to go back. I left that life, that world behind years ago."

The voice drifted down the hall, to fall upon closed ears in the living room. The blonde scoffed and shook her head from its pins. A tall, lean brunette in workout gear came back in, burdened by paperwork. The papers were dropped on the table and the woman collapsed on the couch.

"Mel, I love your enthusiasm, but it's just…. I can't go back there. It's been too long."

Melody rolled her eyes and handed the invitation over. "Mya, you have to go. It's been ten years! You go back now, with your sexy body, your successful life, and your beautiful children. It's like every girl's dream."

"What about the arm candy and the bling" She flicked the envelope, watching as it floated to the ground before picking up the first file.

"Well there has to be something new for your twenty year reunion!"

"But this isn't a normal reunion! It's the ten-year anniversary of the war. There's the memorial service on May 2nd and then the reunion activities will be in June. It's for all those who missed out on school that year because of the war."

"So go to both! I don't understand what the problem is."

"I went missing that night. I'm honored in that memorial service as one of the many gone. I still have the Daily Prophet edition where they hypothesized everything that might have happened to me and why I was gone."

Just then the front door slammed open. "Oops!" Mya turned to Mel, "Not a word!" Footsteps pounded down the hallway and two kids leaped over the back of the couch.

"Shoes off the couch –"

"Hi mum! –"

"– was not me –"

"– and no climbing over the back of the –"

"– School was boring. Nothing to tell –"

"– She's been blowing everything up! –"

"Ah! Nothing like the soundtrack of hyper voices to wake a girl up, start her day off right." Pulling her raven black hair into a messy bun on the crown of her head, a new person stumbled down the stairs and to the coffeepot in the kitchen. Mya gave her kids a stern look. "Sorry Ray!" They chorused with bashful faces. The tiny redhead that had followed them in the door leaned on the kitchen counter and grinned. "Don't worry about it. I would have woken her up. How was your busy night, anyway?"

Ravena gave a sleepy grin, "Oh thanks Scar. It was long. Jay is a stupid perfectionist. We practice the dance over and over until our feet bleed and then we perform it while he takes the pictures only to be told we weren't in sync and then have to go back to practicing."

Mya winced in sympathy. "I'm sorry Ray. He's just so convinced that the only way to get the club off its feet is with perfect publicity shots. Why they have to be taken in the middle of the night at odd locations, I have no idea. But he's the best and we need him. Thank you for doing this."

"For you, Mya, anything. You know that. Why else would I put up with these two little tyrants?" She walked over and tickled the kids mercilessly. They giggled their way off the edge of the couch and onto the floor. Mya headed into the kitchen with a little grin, helping Scarlett unpack the lunchboxes. "Ok, you guys don't get cookies in your lunch, unless you start eating your veggies! That includes your carrots!"

"Mum, what's this?"

She turned around to see her little boy, Caelum holding the invitation she had knocked onto the floor. Chameron leaned over her brother's shoulder to read it. They both looked up at her. "You're going right?"

Mya sighed, "No I am not, and I don't want to talk about it." Her kids ran around the couch to the kitchen counter and gave her their best serious faces. Chameron spoke first. "Mum, it's time. In just over a year, we will be turning eleven and you'll have to get us ready for school. We'll be taking trips to Diagon Ally!"

Caelum took over. It was a little like they had practiced this before. "Yes, you agreed to let us go to Lykan, but how long will we have to keep up the 'our mum's a muggle' thing? Isn't it better than you reintroduce yourself to the wizarding world, instead of being dragged in by us?"

"Don't you deserve the chance to get reacquainted before you have to start answering questions about us? Our father doesn't even know we exist. Doesn't he deserve to find out before the rest of the world?"

"We don't mean to pressure you, but we do think you should give this some thought before you say no."

Mya took a second to look at her kids, Cham with her long curly platinum blonde hair pulled into braids, Cae with his straight brown hair hanging into his steely blue brown eyes, the same color as his sisters. They were as identical as fraternal twins could get, and the perfect mix between herself and their father. There was no way they wouldn't be recognized eventually. She walked over to them and put a kiss on each forehead. "Have I told you how much I love you two?" They smiled. "But going back isn't as easy as you make it sound. I have thought about it a lot. Lykans is a small school, that teaches a mix of magic and muggle subjects. There's a big leap between Lykans and Hogwarts. I know I have to go back, but this reunion is not the way to do it. Now go get started on your homework. I'll call you when dinner's ready. And stop reading the dictionary. I don't like it when you use such big words against me."

They sighed, grabbed their backpacks, and ran down the opposite hallway from the one Mya was in early. The other girls just looked at Mya, disappointment written all over their faces. "Don't give me that. I'm not going and that's the end of this." She threw the invitation in the trash and began making dinner.

**TWO MONTHS LATER**

Still cursing Mel's name, she walked up the stairs and knocked on the giant door. The seconds ticked by while she nervously fiddled with her skirt thinking about how she got here…

_ "Mya! You're going to be late for your train." _

_Mya came running down the stairs with suitcase in hand. She frantically began searching for her purse. "I swore my train didn't leave until 1, why do we have to get to the station so early? Cham, Cae hurry up!"_

_ Mel rolled her eyes while Scarlett handed Mya her purse. "I told you, I found you an earlier train for a better deal. It leaves at eleven, now hurry up!" The kids came running into the living room. "Give your mom a hug; you won't see her until Monday." Giving hugs and kisses, Mya was shoved out the door and into the car. They arrived at Kings Cross Station five minutes to eleven. Both girls hopped out and Mya ran in. The sign overheard was running the times and boarding platforms of all the trains. She stopped in confusion. _

_ "Mel, the earliest train to Liverpool isn't until 1. Why am I already here?"_

_ Mel looked down sheepishly. "You're here early because you're not going to Liverpool, I am. The train you're boarding leaves any minute so let's go." Mya put on the brakes as Mel tried to drag her down the station. "I'm not going anywhere until you tell me what's going on."_

_ Mel sighed, "Mya, you're getting on the Hogwarts Express and you are going to that ten year reunion. I already RSVP'd yes to Headmistress McGonagall. Now hurry up! You're the only one who knows how to get to the platform."_

_ "And if I refuse?"_

_ "Then nobody goes to Liverpool for this business deal. The ticket is in my name, not yours, and I'm not getting on that train until you get on the Express." Mya was fuming, but she couldn't find a way around this. She needed the deal to go through if she wanted the bar's business to pick up. "I didn't pack anything for this trip."_

_ "Oh girl, you're not the only witch around here. Just because I'm American doesn't mean I'm not as skilled as you British witches. My suitcase has the professional attire and yours has your old school uniform in it. You'll have to change on the train. Now to Platform 9 and ¾!"_

_ Mya lead the way through the brick wall only to find that the train had already left. It was now ten after eleven. "Looks like that plan didn't work…" Mel stopped the station attendant picking up the platform. "Excuse me, but when will the next train be coming by?" The attendant looked at her with hesitation, but answered the blonde's question. "Well ma'am. Normally the train only runs once a day. However, due to the reunion going on, the Headmistress has arranged a train every hour to work with everyone's schedules."_

_ Mel smiled and thanked the man kindly. She turned to Mya looking smug. "Looks like we can go grab a quick lunch and then you'll be on the train. It leaves in fifty minutes." _

_ "Why?"_

_ "Why, what?"_

_ "Why do I have to go? Why is it so important to you and to everyone else that I go to this reunion? I like my life. I'm happy, successful. Why are you so insistent that it all changes?"_

_ Mel looked at her best friend, looking so miserable, and brought her over to a bench. "Mya, come sit down. We want you to go because you need this. Just because you go back, doesn't mean everything's going to change. You can't ignore your past, nor can you run from it forever. You had friends, a history. You're Hermione Granger, just as much as you're Mya Marie Lukas. I know you're scared, but it's time." She wiped away a tear running down Mya's cheek and took her for a burger nearby. Then when the train came, and Mya… Hermione panicked and tried to turn back, Mel shoved her on the train and locked her in a compartment, set to unlock once the train had pulled away from the station. She then smiled and waved as she watched her cursing friend roll out of sight…._

The door opened, revealing an unpleasant but familiar face. She put on her sweetest smile. "Mr. Filch! It's been such a long time since we've seen each other. I hope life is well with you and dear Mrs. Norris?"

Filch looked flustered, caught off-guard by the beautiful girl in front of him and her caring questions. "Arg… do I know you?" A musical laugh brought a splotchy twinge of red to his scruffy cheeks.

"I'm here for the reunion." she gestured to her uniform. "I'm afraid I had some transportation malfunctions which caused me to miss the Hogwarts Express. But I've made it now. Will I be able to join in the festivities, still?"

Filch stared at her a few seconds with mouth agape. Finally, he seemed to process her words and gestured for her to enter. "Right this way. I will retrieve your bags for you. They just began dinner, Miss…" He trailed off, hoping she'd fill in her name, but she simply thanked him and moved past, towards the Great Hall. He stuttered and hurried to open the door for her.

Before she knew it, the doors swung wide open and the room beyond went silent. With shaking knees, she gazed out at the crowd, filling only half of the hall, but ominous none the less. Familiar faces with matching looks of confusion turned toward her, the feast momentarily forgotten. Filch stepped forward to address the Headmistress, seated at the front table with all her old teachers.

"Excuse me, Headmistress, late arrival," he stuttered. "Had a problem with getting to the train, but she's here now. Miss…."

"Granger."

"… Miss Granger just…." As recognition dawned, he trailed off, looking back at her. Suddenly, there was movement to the right. Two men had stood up, both so different. She took a second to take them in, but who could forget that flaming red hair, or those round glasses she was always repairing as a child. Harry slowly began to make his way toward her, in a state of shock. Without realizing it, she moved as well and braved a small smile. That was all it took to break his reverie and quickly he caught her in his arms. Just having her Harry back again, a hole inside her began to mend, a hole she didn't know until then was there. She was home.

Harry kissed her on the forehead and dragged her back to his seat. The rest of the hall erupted into whispers, but returned to eating. Reaching Ron, she flew into his arms. It felt so good to be back, to have her boys again. They squished her in between them, without saying a word. It was Ginny, sitting across the table that broke the silence.

"You look amazing! I just had to say it. Now before there are any probing questions, you need to eat something. You're too skinny." So much like her mother, she began piling dish after dish onto the plate that had appeared. Hermione laughed. "Oh trust me, eating is not a problem. I'm pretty sure I could rival Ron this days."

"Now that I'd love to see!" Sitting next to Ginny was none other than Lavender Brown – although judging by the sparkle on her left hand and the way she looked across the table, it was probably Weasley now. "This man can eat more now than he could at school. And he's had no problem teaching our son the same skills. Poor Hugo better have your metabolism too or you're gonna have to roll him places soon."

Ron just smiled and took her hand. "Our children get their beautiful looks from their mother and everybody knows it."

"Ignore them," Harry said from the other side. "They're coming up on their eighth anniversary and it's really gross." Ron reached around and smacked him across the head with his free hand. Hermione just laughed.

"I'm sure you're just feeling totally behind," Ginny piped up again. "The family just keeps growing. Even I'm getting lost."

"How is everyone? I've missed them all so much." Ron patted her hand. "And we've missed you as well." There was a small pause and he smiled. "Ginny, show her the pictures. I know you've got a whole album in your purse."

"Oh hush, you! There are just a few pictures." She handed over a small book. "We had a little photo shoot a month and a half ago, as a present to Mom and Dad. It was supposed to be for Christmas, but you try organizing everyone's schedules. Impossible! The kids are even busier than we were as children."

Hermione opened to the first page, featuring a slightly older looking Molly and Arthur Weasley. "Mum and Dad are happy as can be, with the millions of children running around." Ron chuckled and flipped the page. "Here is Bill and Fleur. They're coming up on eleven years this summer. Those are the kids: Victoire, Dominique, and Louis. They spend many summers and Christmas breaks in France with Fleur's family. Even Bill has turned into a crazy French man."

"Ron, you're terrible. She needs more information than that, like how old the kids are, etc. Must I do everything?" Gin turned to Hermione, "Victoire was born in early December, right after the war. Mum was absolutely furious when she found out they had known and kept Fleur's pregnancy a secret until after the final battle. 'A woman with child has no place in such a dangerous battle'. Of course afterwards, she cried with happiness about her first grandchild. Tori turns ten this year. Dom is eight and Louis is almost six and such precious children. I'm incredibly jealous with how easy Fleur has had it this whole time."

Smiling up at them from the photo were three perfectly beautiful children, an exact blend of Bill and Fleur. Each had porcelain skin, strawberry blonde hair, perfect freckles, and the bluest eyes Hermione had ever seen. Even though it was a wizard photo, they sat tall and straight, with bright smiles on their faces while Bill and Fleur beamed with pride.

"It's got to be the Veela blood, I swear. They are just too perfect. I like to believe that they are all tyrants the second they close the doors of Shell Cottage. It makes me feel a little better. It also helps that Bills fraying at the ends. Those girls have boys trailing along during the school day and poor 'daddy' does not know what to do with himself. It's hilarious!"

"Ron! I wouldn't enjoy it too much. Rose isn't far behind them and soon it will be you panicking. I'd rather not have to deal with extra torment from your brothers as payback for now."

"Yes dear." Hermione and Harry choked on their pumpkin juice, unable to stifle their giggles. "Shut up! Do you want to see the rest of the family, or not!"

Giggling, Hermione turned the page to the next picture: a quite comical and active one compared to the previous one. An older man and a young girl seemed to be in a battle of faces, going back and forth with classic cross-eyes and tongues sticking out. They were having so much fun that they didn't notice they were being watched.

"Oh my gosh, is that Charlie?"

"Yup, with his daughter Delia, the sweet little thing. She just turned nine. That was quite the surprise when we found out about her. During the war, Charlie was dating this sweet woman named Darcy. After the war, she got a dream job offer in New Zealand and so they broke up. Except, she showed up on his doorstep nine months later with little Delia, only a month old. Darcy had contracted some fatal illness and didn't make it another three weeks. Poor Charlie took her death hard, but he was now sole guardian of his baby and he needed help. He showed up at Bill and Fleur's anniversary dinner at Mum's with Delia and of course we all swooped in to help. He still works with dragons and Creature Control, but now he lives in London. We all help when we can, especially Mum."

"Gee Gin, I didn't realize she needed every detail of the story. I thought I was giving explanations."

"Oh please, like you'd explain all of that to her. It's been ten years. She's missed a lot and back story is necessary!"

Ron just rolled his eyes and turned the page. "Next is Percy with his nerdy family –" Multiple hands smacked him. "– Sorry! It's just still a little shocking that he found a girl in the first place! Anyway, this is his wife Audrey. They met at work and apparently it was 'love at first sight'. He's got Molly, who's eight this month and little Lucy who's 4. I've lost hope for Em. She does nothing but read and get ahead in her homework, like how you were! She also hates my nickname for her but we can't have two Mollys running around and I was informed 'Bookworm' is not an option. Little Lulu is quite the rebel, though. I'm teaching her all I know, and awaiting the day she lets loose on Percy."

Lav chimed in, "She's really such a doll, but she has this terrible affliction where she absolutely adores her uncles and listens to every word they say. Percy is just thrilled, but Audrey has a good sense of humor. She balances him out really well. Now the next picture will surprise you."

She reached over and flipped the page. On one side of the photo was a very familiar face, her old school mate Angelina was struggling with a mischievous little boy. Every time she'd take something away, he'd pull out something else he wasn't supposed to have. This appeared to be a normal dance they took. Standing next to her was another Weasley man holding a little girl while an identical man made faces to get the little girl to giggle. Hermione gasped and Harry softly chuckled.

"Fred was quite the miracle. After the wall fell on him, we were told he was as good as dead. But after the battle ended, a stranger came out of the woodwork and brought him back. Nobody knows who it was. We didn't even find out until the next day that he had started breathing again. It was another year before he woke up from the coma. When the doctors suggested pulling the plug after eight months, Molly told them to shove it before anyone else could react. Fred and George are pretty inseparable now, even more than before the war. –"

" – George and Angelina started dating while Fred was in the coma. Fred was best man in their wedding. Ang jokes that she got two for the price of one, but Fred is really good about giving the couple time alone. He's the best uncle those kids have, no offense boys –" Harry and Ron nodded their agreement. " – Fred II turns seven in November and is twice the terror the twins were. Roxanne is four in August. The boys swear she's a perfect angel, but –"

" – I don't believe it. That little Roxy has a dangerous look about her. She and Freddy are like two peas in a pod. She could strike at any time and Ang knows it."

Hermione couldn't help but laugh. Harry and Ginny were so connected; they couldn't help but finish each other's sentences. The story just bounced back and forth so smooth and flawless. From the sheepish grin Harry gave her, this was a fairly normal occurrence. It was nice to see them so happy together. She flipped the page to see Ron smiling up at her, surrounded by his family.

"Now here is my chance to brag. Rose is six and Hugo is four. You'd love my Rosie. She is a book-aholic. I don't even know how she learned to read. Just picked up a book one day and hasn't put one down since. She's been practicing her writing, says she wants to be an author one day. We've told her about her Aunt Hermione. She keeps saying that one day she was gonna find out what happened to you and write a book about it." Hermione's eyes began to water. Ron put his arm around her shoulders and squeezed. "Everyone knows about Aunt Hermione. We weren't about to forget."

Hermione sniffed. "I would love to meet them all. Rosie can have an exclusive interview for her book." Lav just laughed, "She would be in heaven."

"Hugo would have some questions, too. That little guy is quick-witted for sure. He heard stories about how you used to scold his daddy, which he found so hilarious. Of course, I can't imagine where he'd come across such things…"

"Of course, Harry, not a clue…" A roll from Ron's plate somehow made its way over to smack Harry in the face, which he took like a man, crumbs and all. The group laughed and Hermione turned back to the book. The last page was Harry and Ginny with their arms full of kids. Pointing to one of the boys that looked identical to Harry himself, Harry began the explanation. "This is James Sirius. He turns seven next month and is just like me when I was his age. Albus Severus is six in December and, in my opinion, the perfect mix of Gin and I. Where James doesn't get emotional about anything, Albus is full of fire. He has Ginny's temper."

"Hey!"

"Sorry. Anyway, here's my little girl, Lily Luna. She just turned four and is my little angel. If you ask me, she can do no wrong, but Gin doesn't agree."

"She and Roxy are best friends. It's only a matter of time before her big brothers can't take the blame anymore. Of course all three have no problem getting into mischief. And this little teal-head only eggs them on. You remember Lupin and Tonk's son, Teddy right? Of course he wasn't even a year the last time you saw him. After the war, Andromeda took him in, since she was his grandmother, but Harry is his godfather. As things settled down, he began spending more time with us and after the wedding we took him in full time. A toddler was a little much for Granny Dromeda and he's the best big brother to James, Al, and Lily. He'll be eleven this October and will be at Hogwarts not this year but the year after."

"Oh Ginny, Harry, they're beautiful! James looks just like you and Lily just like Ginny." The two beamed with pride. "Thanks Hermione. We're pretty proud of them. I just can't wait for you to meet them!"

"I'm sure we can figure something out! I want to see everyone again, get all caught up."

Just then the food disappeared and the Headmistress stood up. "I hope everyone had a delicious first meal! Now it is time to retire to your dorms. You will find that the sleeping arrangements have been altered. Taking in regard the fact that quite a few of you are married, everyone has their own room. I will see everyone bright and early for breakfast and the first activities. Goodnight!"

"Oh my goodness, that dinner went by so quickly!" Ginny stood up and picked up her stuff along with everyone else. "And Hermione out-ate Ron! I think this moment should be documented." Lav laughed and Ron hung his head in shame. Hermione simply shrugged. "My life just requires a different diet than it used to."

Harry slung his arm around her shoulders as they left the Great Hall and headed up the stairs. "How about we get our things settled and then can relax around the fire for a little bit while you fill us in on what we've missed."

"Well there's not a lot to tell, but I'm sure I can come up with something."

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** Well there's the start. I am currently working on finishing the second chapter so that should be up soon! Please review it. I would love some critics to improve upon!**


	2. Chapter 2

** So I finally finished Chapter Two. This was a hard one to write, but I hope you enjoy it. **

**Disclaimer****: JK Rowling owns most of the characters and backstories. If you don't recognize it from the Harry Potter books or anything else Rowling has published, then it belongs to me!**

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**Chapter Two**

Standing at the bottom of the stairs, Hermione gazed around the empty common room. Everyone was busy checking out their rooms and she had the place to herself. Even though the tower had been badly damaged in the final battle, most of what was inside had been restored and the place was returned to its original state. She looked around, feeling like she was eleven again taking it all in for the first time. With a small smile, she curled up on her favorite couch right in front of the fire. Gazing into the flames, she thought back to the last time she was here…

_It was right after the end of the battle. She and Ron had been sent up to check the tower. They hadn't had a chance to talk about the kiss in the Chamber of Secrets, or about how she had pushed him away. They hadn't talked at all. Shifting through the rubble, she came across a torn Gryffindor pennant and sighed. _

_ "Hermione?" She turned to see Ron standing there watching her. It was the first thing he'd said to her since the kiss. She looked him over, battered and bruised from fighting and barely holding it together. "Yes?" He glanced at their surroundings and then lowered his head. "Was it that bad?" She knew what he was talking about, and it had nothing to do with the fight._

_ "Oh Ron, it wasn't bad."_

_ "Then why did you push me away? I thought you felt the same way." _

_ She sighed again and walked over to him. Touching his cheek, she looked into his eyes. "I did once. But we could never work. You and Harry are my brothers, and I love you so much, just not like that."_

_ He nodded and pulled his face away, looking hurt. She continued, "I'm really sorry. But now isn't the time to make those kind of decisions. We've been through so much. All that time on the run, the fight, losing all those people. Everyone's pretty emotionally fragile and I know once you've had some time, you'll agree. The kiss was in the heat of the moment, but it's not really how you feel."_

_ "What makes you so sure? What makes you so stoic when the rest of us are crumbling to pieces?"_

_ He was wrong but he didn't know it. She had already crumbled. On the inside, there was just dust left, but she couldn't show it. They had too many other things to worry about and she had kept too many secrets. She had to make Ron understand, because she was leaving. This broken world was not where she belonged anymore. "I have to be. No one else is going to be. It's my job."_

_ Ron gave a small, sad smile. "That's our Hermione, always the mother. You will forever being taking care of people." He kissed her on the forehead and turned away, heading back downstairs. She took one last look around as she thought about what he said. _'He'll never know how right he is,'_ she thought, resting her hand on her stomach, before turning around to follow him down._

Her thoughts were interrupting by someone coming down the stairs. She looked up to see Ron come around the couch and sit down next to her. "Remember the last time the two of us were here?"

She smiled. "I was just thinking about it, actually." He laughed and put his arm around her, bringing her close. "I can't help but think about what you said to me. All that wisdom. That's how you always were, wise beyond your years. People always said it was because everything we went through made us grow up faster, but you were the only one that got the wisdom."

She smiled at him and it got quiet, each lost in thought and the flames. After a few moments, Ron broke the silence. "You were right, weren't you? Sometimes I wonder if the only reason I moved on was because you left. There was a long time I blamed myself for scaring you off. I mean, I love my life, my wife and my kids, but there's still a little part of me that wonders… If you had stayed, would we have gotten together or would you still have been right. Your disappearance threw everything into a frenzy for a little bit before we learned to survive without you."

She looked at him, while he continued to stare in the fire. "It still would have been right. There were a lot of things you guys didn't know back then. I had reasons of my own for leaving and you and Harry had absolutely nothing to do with it. Leaving you guys was one of the hardest things I've ever done, but it was something I had to do."

"I hope someday you'll be able to tell us about it. All those secrets you were keeping" She looked up to see Harry standing over the back of the couch. Ginny and Lavender moved around to sit in the armchairs while Harry sat on the other side of Hermione. "We all knew you were keeping something to yourself. But we also knew that you'd tell us when you were ready. When you are ready, we'll be here."

Hermione looked at her friends through watering eyes. Ginny smiled, "Now I would love to hear about your fabulous life!" Hermione laughed.

"Well there's not a lot to tell. I live in a two story flat in downtown London with some work friends. I started dancing when I was three, although I think Gin was the only one who knew that." The boys looked shocked. "Anyway I started dancing professionally, had some time with the American Ballet Theatre, until a friend of mine, Jay, started getting recognition for his photography. He used to take dance pictures of us all the time. He dragged me to a couple shoots and got me modeling on my time off from dancing. I did a lot of traveling but eventually made it back to London. The girls I live with: Ravena, Scarlett, and Melody, model and dance as well. Umm… about two years ago, we bought an old restaurant and began remodeling it. So now we have 'The Loft', a restaurant and dance club. It's been open for about six months. We each take turns working the bar, waitressing, and appearing in the dance shows. We also collaborate on costuming and choreographing the performances. Our staff is mostly old coworkers from dance and the many times we've worked in restaurants. It's going pretty well for a new place. Jay is on a mission to boost business, which would actually be really helpful." She hesitated, the faces of two nine year olds with striking blue-brown eyes popping into her head. "And…. that's about it for me. Like I said, really not that eventful."

Harry laughed, "That sounds pretty eventful for me. I had no idea you loved to dance!"

"I did!"

"Thanks, Gin. Some wife you are, not telling me that."

Ron was still processing, but Lav chimed in. "I can't believe you model now. I mean you look amazing, but who would have picture little Hermione Granger modeling?"

Hermione just smiled. "Well it is a little different from how I was when I was here. I used to think I'd go into Healing, but I really love what I do. When I was little, I used to dream about being a professional ballerina."

Ron finally joined in. "I'm really proud of you. That sounds like some incredible accomplishments. I'd love to see you dance sometime. I was just thinking about how you used to get up and dance around the tent when we were on the run."

"Oh yea! How could I forget about that? Whenever you'd start getting really stressed or frustrated, you'd take the radio from Ron, turn on some music and spin in circles."

Hermione laughed, remember those days. "And Ron used to get so angry with me!"

"Well you'd take the radio! And then you'd try and get one of us to dance with you."

"With very little success! You two were so stubborn. That was usually when you guys would step outside to 'keep watch'." She rolled her eyes. "There was only one time Harry danced with me."

"I remember that. It was not too long after Ron left. You used to spend those nights in tears and it took me a little while, but I finally remembered what would cheer you up. It was the first night you didn't cry yourself to sleep."

"That was a good night. I needed that. But even better was right after Ron came back. You tried so hard to get me to forgive you."

"I knew dancing was the only option. I'm sure I impressed you with my moves. You just couldn't say no to my pleas of forgiveness."

"HA! More like I felt so bad for you. You really have no rhythm or dancing ability of any kind. I knew once I forgave you you'd stop dancing and I really needed you to stop."

"Hey!" Ron shoved Hermione into Harry and they collapsed into giggles. They spent another hour reminiscing over their days at Hogwarts, and Hermione got to hear some funny stories of their lives after she left. It felt good, almost normal. She almost forgot about those silver eyes she had seen earlier, staring at her from across the Great Hall. The ones burned into her brain. The ones she used to dream about, the ones she missed. The ones so alike the ones waiting for her at home. She may have Harry and Ron back, but there was still someone she had to face before she could go home.

* * *

The next morning, Hermione woke up early. After showering and getting dressed again in her uniform, she rushed over to the fireplace in her room and called home. Ray answered it with a little scream and a crash. "Holy shit! I will never get used to this." She was standing in the middle of the living room surrounded by some broken glass and a puddle of water. Melody came running down the stairs.

"What's wrong, what broke?" She paused, taking in Hermione in the fire and the mess at Ray's feet and started to laugh. "Again? Ray, this happens every time! When will you get used to it." Ray glared at her before running to get paper towels and a broom.

"I can handle the owls, patronus things, and people coming in through the fireplace, but the pictures in a fire that wasn't there a second ago will never be ok!"

Looking at Hermione, Mel pointed at Ray and rolled her eyes laughing. "I assume you're calling to talk to the children. I'll go get them." She walked over to the entrance of the hallway and yelled "CAE! CHAM! YOUR MOTHER'S CALLING!"

Ray came back to clean up the mess, only to see that Mel had done it with magic and collapsed on the couch in a huff. A shoe came arcing over the railing of the balcony to hit Mel. "It's 7am. SHUT THE FUCK UP!"

Footsteps preceded two children running into the living room. "OOOOOOO WE HEARD THAT!" They giggled, leaping over the back of the couch to land in front of the fire. Scarlett appeared over the railing, looking disheveled and sleep deprived. "Sorry! Hi Mya! Please keep it down, I was up all night at the club and this girl needs her beauty sleep." Glancing at the fiery curls sticking straight up, Mel chuckled, "Yea we noticed." The second shoe stifled her giggles, but only for a moment. Hermione surveyed the whole event before looking at the twins.

"Maybe you would have been better off at your grandparents instead of this mad house" They giggled and Ray gave her a little 'Amen'. Cham wasted no time in quizzing her. "So where are you right now, is that your room, are you in the Gryffindor common room, what are you wearing, is that the uniform, where's the robe, I read that wizards wear robes, why is there only one bed, I thought the students stayed in dorms, what's the common room like, there are no pictures in 'Hogwarts, A History', what's the –"

"Hold on, chick-a-dee. I love you, but I can only answer one question at a time."

Cae cut in. "How was last night?"

"Good. I got to the feast late, thanks to Mel –" She snorted in the background. "– Speaking of which, aren't you supposed to be in Liverpool!"

"The meeting's not until next week. I needed some reason to get you to the train station in the first place."

"Why you little…! We will talk about you messing with my appointment book when I get back."

"Mum! Back to last night!"

"Oh right, sorry. Anyway, I saw Harry and Ron. They were thrilled to see me again. We spent the whole night talking. They told me all about the Weasley clan, who's married to whom and such, and I told them about the club, dancing, and modeling. That's it."

Cae and Cham exchanged looks before looking back at her. "What about our dad? Is he there? And did you tell them about us?" Hermione gave them a stern look. "You guys are getting ahead of yourselves. I told you this wouldn't be easy. I can't tell them about you until I tell them about your father and I'm not ready to do that. I saw your father, he's here, but I don't know if I'll be able to talk to him. I have to do this one step at a time. The first step is fixing things with Harry and Ron."

Cham clenched her fists and Ray's new glass of water burst. "Shit! Again! Sorry, guys." Mel came to the rescue again, cleaning the mess up and Cae put his arm around Cham, trying to calm her down. She just looked at her mom. "Sounds like everything's fine with them. What are you gonna do, wait a few months before you tell them about us? 'Sure, I'd love to come to the family party; can I bring my kids along? Oh what? Yea I've got twins, I didn't mention that before?' I'm sure that'll just go over fine and dandy!"

"Cham! I will not be spoken to that way. You don't understand the situation. I will tell them about you, but I need time. Your father doesn't even know about you. If it were up to me, I'd never speak to him again, but you guys look too much like him for me to get away with that. I just need time." There was a knock on her door.

"'Mione, you awake? We're heading down to breakfast and Gin sent me up to get you."

"Yea, Harry, I'm all ready. I'll be down in a sec." She turned back to her kids. "I have to go, but I'll talk to you tomorrow, ok? I love you." She got a chorus of 'I love you's and 'bye's and one 'tell them!' before disconnecting. Picking up her bag and her robe, she opened the door to run right into Harry. He gave her an odd look. "Who were you talking to?"

She looked at him, surprised. "I had to call home about the club. Were you eavesdropping on me?" He stuttered for a second. "No, just heard some voices. I couldn't understand anything."

They exchanged suspicious looks for a moment, until they heard Ginny calling up for them. Harry moved out of the way and gestured for her to go first. He gave her closed door a pondering look before following her down the stairs and to breakfast.

* * *

"Cham, our show's on!"

Cae sat on the end of one couch sketching while the three women spread out watching the large flat screen. Cham walked in, climbed over the top of the couch, and huffed. Ray wrapped her arms around the young girl. "Don't look so down. You love So You Think You Can Dance. It's even the American version, thanks to Mel. You love Nigel and Mary."

Cham just looked down and sighed. "Why won't she tell them about us?" The room went silent. The three women shared a look and Cae put down his sketch pad. Mel reached over and patted her knee. "When your mother left, the world was going through a difficult time. She's told you some about your dad, but not everything. "

"He wasn't such a great guy, was he?" They looked over to Cae. He looked resigned, like this idea had occurred to him a long time ago and he had come to accept it. Cham looked confused, having never considered her mom could fall for a bad guy. There was a silent debate between the three roommates as to who could address the issue best. Scar was picked. "Your mum would never fall for a truly bad guy. It was a dangerous time and your father was in a bad situation because of his family. He made some bad decisions, and there were some that he had no choice in. But he was a good guy, still is. It's hard for your mum because sometimes even she forgets his good. She dealt with a lot of prejudice and sometimes that's hard to forget."

"But no matter what, you need to remember this." Mel chimed in. "Your mother loves you both so much. She left that world to protect you and her hesitation is for the same reason. It was hard enough for her to let you go to Lykans. It takes baby steps to show her that this is the right decision."

The two kids looked at each of them. Mel gestured for Cae to move closer. Cuddled onto one couch, they each held onto the kids, giving support the only way they could. Cham gave a small smile, accepting what they said. "Ok, I don't understand it all, but I guess I can give Mum a break." Scar kissed her on the forehead and reached for the remote. "How about we watch our show and then go out for some ice cream. I've had a craving for it and I've been really good about my exercising. I deserve a treat."

Headmistress McGonagall explained at breakfast how the reunion activities would go. A mini House Cup competition would be held throughout the long weekend. The Gryffindors and Ravenclaws had History of Magic first, where they answered trivia for points.

"And the final tally is Ravenclaw with 30 points and Gryffindor with 70 points! Good job guys!" Professor Binns' assistant, Cory McMiller, dismissed the group and everyone filed out the door to lunch. Hermione had a great time in class. After ten years, it's amazing how much she still remembered. Heading down to lunch, Harry slid in next to Hermione and slung his arm around her shoulders. "Hey, can I talk to you about something?"

She smiled up at him. "Of course, Harry. What's up?" He tugged her back a little bit so that they ended up at the back of the group. The others continued on into the Great Hall without noticing the two they left behind. Hermione gave Harry a puzzled look, "What's wrong?"

Harry gave a small smile. "Nothing's terribly wrong. This is just something McGonagall didn't want me telling anyone, but I think you can help."

"What do you mean, Harry? Now you've got me worried."

Harry sighed, "Ok, remember at the end of our time at Hogwarts, how a lot of kids stopped being allowed to come here? Because of how dangerous it was?" Hermione nodded, stilled unsure of where he was going with this. "Well with all those kids not allowed here, there had to be some place they could learn. So, a couple private schools opened up around Great Britain. Now other countries have both private and public schools and they all co-exist just fine. But the situation here is a little different. The Ministry started funding the private schools to get them off their feet, and with the cost of rebuilding Hogwarts, money was low. The school's budget gets tighter each year and there is still a lot of upkeep and work to go. The rebuilding is still in progress, but in small bits. With these other schools and all their advertising, Hogwarts' student numbers are decreasing each year, which also lowers the budget."

"So what are you trying to say? Hogwarts is going broke? That's terrible, but I don't really understand what this has to do with me."

"The board has determined that we need to publicize the school a little more, maybe hold some fundraisers as well. We just don't know how to do this. This has never been a problem before, and Ginny's idea of bake sales isn't exactly what we're looking for."

Hermione looked at him skeptically. "Ok, but what does this have to do with me?"

"You're a model and a performer. You own a business so you know how to handle publicity and raising money. Plus, you're Hermione. I've never had a problem you couldn't help me solve." He gave her a small sideways grin, the one she knew so well from every time he'd ask her to write his essay for him. It never worked then, and it wasn't about to work now. "Harry, I live in the Muggle world, with my muggle jobs, my muggle money, and my muggle co-workers. It's not like I can call them up and say 'Hey, I'm putting on a show as a fundraiser for my old boarding school. Will you help me out?' I know exactly how the rest of that conversation will go. 'Oh of course! What school did you go to?' 'Well, it's called Hogwarts. You probably haven't heard of it.' 'Oh really? Where is it?' 'Well that's the funny thing. I actually can't tell you. You won't be able to find it because it's unplottable to Muggles.' – Click – Yea that sounds like a great idea, really successful."

"Wow, someone's become a little sassy." Hermione just looked at him. He grinned, "Putting on a show as a fundraiser would be a great idea. You must know someone with magic." She hesitated, "Well one of my roommates is a witch, and the other two are muggles but they know all about the wizarding world."

Harry's grin got even bigger. "See! I knew you'd be able to help. I'll go talk to McGonagall right away. I know there'll be a way around this."

Hermione started to argue, but her attention was pulled away by a newcomer coming down the stairs. Brushing his platinum blonde hair – still looking as soft as she could remember – out of his face, his silver eyes locked on hers. Suddenly, all her surroundings disappeared. Harry's ramblings faded away into the background along with the chatter from inside the Great Hall. It was just the two of them now. All those feelings she had hid away ten years ago came rushing back. It was like the world stop spinning and she forgot how to breathe. He walked across the entryway, a mask falling into place over his own turbulent emotions. Harry turned to see him coming and just like that, the moment was gone.

"Malfoy"

"Potter"

They exchanged stiff nods and he walked right on by. Hermione took a big gasping breath and looked back at Harry. "You two speak now?" Harry shrugged, "When you're the head of the Auror department and he's an Auror, you have to learn to be civil. We are by no means friends, but we try to get along." He steered her into the Hall, towards the Gryffindor table, but her attention was on the table across the room. There was no warmth in his steely gaze now, nothing that made her heart flutter. He looked down and a stone dropped into her gut, leaving no room for her appetite. While Harry ran up to talk to McGonagall, Hermione sat numbly, pretending to listen to the chatter around her until it was time to move onto her next class.

Up next was Transfiguration with the Headmistress, herself. Even though she kept quite busy with Head duties, she refused to give up teaching. This time the Gryffindors were paired with the Slytherins. _'Of all people, of course he'd be here. I guess avoiding him is no longer an option.'_ Her stomach tied in knots, Hermione filtered into the room along with the rest of her old classmates. The desks were all pushed to the walls and up at the front by McGonagall's desk was pilled an assortment of random things. She squeezed in between Neville and Seamus, trying to hide from _his_ silver gaze, and waited for the class to start. McGonagall entered right on time. "Good afternoon class! So great to see you all again! I assume you've noticed the slight change in the normal classroom set up. Since there will be no lecturing, I assumed you did not need desks. Instead you will be going up against each other in a competition of skills. These things gathered at the front are for your use. One by one you will be timed and judged on your ability to transfigure them into whatever I decide." The room bristled and buzzed with excitement. "Now let's start with Mr. Zabini for Slytherin, and from Gryffindor… Ms. Granger."

Hermione's stomach dropped even lower, if that was possible. "I'm sorry Professor, but I'm afraid I cannot participate in this activity." The whole class began to murmur. How could Gryffindor stand a chance without Hermione? Professor McGonagall looked shocked. "Is there something wrong, Ms. Granger?"

Hermione hung her head, embarrassed, "I don't have a wand." The room went silent. "When I left, I didn't take my wand. I haven't touched it, let alone seen it in ten years. I haven't done magic in ten years." Neville stepped forward and offered his wand to her. "Here, you'd probably be better than I am with it anyway."

From the back of the group came an exclamation. "OH!" and Harry pushed to the front rifling through his bag. "How could I forget this was in here?" He pulled out a long thin wand with vines twining around the handle. Hermione exclaimed in surprise, "My wand!" Harry gave a sideways grin, matching Ron's right behind him. "You left it with your note. We couldn't just get rid of it. There was a small part of me that hoped you'd eventually show up so we've taken turns carrying it with us since the day we found it." He handed it over and Hermione looked like she was about to cry.

"Thank you," she whispered, inspecting it. It felt so good to hold it again, like the hole inside was filled a little more. Turning to McGonagall, she gave a small smile. "I guess I can give it a try."

McGonagall smiled back, teary-eyed and set down a lamp in front of both Hermione and Blaise. "On the count of three, I would like you both to turn your lamps into chairs. We'll start off easy for now." They both nodded their understanding. "One… Two… Three!"

Both wands waved, casting the spell. Blaise had a very comfortable looking chair in front of him, but Hermione just had a very brown lamp. She looked at it frustratingly and tried again. This time it sprouted four legs but it was still a lamp. She looked at McGonagall for help, but the Headmistress simply shrugged. "Magic is something that must be practiced. You're just a little rusty, but it'll come back eventually. Five points to Slytherin."

Hermione was heartbroken. Sure, she had given up magic, but it still felt a part of her. She never thought it could just leave her like that. Without magic inside her, she didn't know who she was. She spent the rest of the period sitting on a desk in the very back of the room. Soon the class was over and everyone filtered out. The final tally had the two houses tied. Harry and Ron stopped for Hermione, but she waved them on ahead. She needed some time alone. Soon the classroom was empty. Well, almost empty. Hermione sat lost in thought, staring out the window onto the grounds when a tentative hand on her shoulder made her jump. She turned around to see him, standing about as far as he could get and still reach her shoulder.

"Are you ok?" Hermione dropped her gaze to the floor and turned away from him. "I'm fine. I just want some time alone." She could feel him drop down to sit next to her on the desk. "If I remember right, the times you say that are the times you need someone the most. Those two dipwads never did figure that out." She tried to fight the small grin that was forming without success.

"What do you want?"

He sighed and shrugged his shoulders. "I don't really know what I'm doing here. I just saw you sitting there and before I knew it I was sitting here. I guess some instincts never leave you." She looked at him and his crooked smirk. Few people got to see more than his signature smirk. There was a time when she was one of those special few. They sat for a little while, just looking at each other. Neither person knew what to say. What's the right thing to say to someone you haven't seen in ten years, when you left behind all that history, when you ran away without saying goodbye. "Long time no see." I guess that's what you say. She looked at him and raised an eyebrow.

"Yea, I guess you could say that." _Boy was this awkward. I don't know whether to slap him or kiss him. Both are so tempting and neither is appropriate._ Instead she looked back down out the window, seeing Harry and Ron standing out on the grass waving up at her. She smiled and waved back. "Looks like they're waiting for me. I should head down. If I'm gone too long, they'll be up here looking for me." She stood and looked at him awkwardly. He shifted uncomfortably, looking like he wasn't sure what to say.

"Right, well nice to see you again. Bye…" Slowly she backed up before booking it out of the room and down the hall. There's a lot that should be said between the two of them, but that was a conversation she just wasn't ready for.

He watched her leave, sitting dejectedly on the desk. '_Why is this so hard? Why can't I just talk? It used to be so easy. We were just Draco and Hermione. Now I don't even know what to call her.' _He sighed and looked out the window, just in time to see her run out and join Potter and Weasley. They all linked arms and headed to the lake. Not for the first time this trip did he feel the old jealous stir. It made him lose his appetite during the feast, seeing her in the arms of those boys. After ten years, it was still his arms that she belonged in. He just didn't know how to get her there.

* * *

**Ok, chapter two finished! I knew I had to get Draco in there. I hope you enjoyed it! Please review!**


	3. Chapter 3

**So I'm sorry this chapter took so long to be posted. Summer school ended for me which means I went from a classroom all day to working all day. Turns out it's a lot easier to scribble ideas while not paying attention to class, than it is at work, where I'm on my feet running around the whole time. School starts back up in a couple weeks, which means my days will get busier, but I'll probably be writing more as well. Something has to distract me from homework. **

**I hope you enjoy, and pretty pretty please R&R. The reviews mean a lot to me and really motivate me to continue working.**

**Disclaimer****: JK Rowling owns most of the characters and backstories. If you don't recognize it from the Harry Potter books or anything else Rowling has published, then it belongs to me!**

**Chapter 3**

The rest of the day passed by slightly awkwardly. It was quite obvious as more time passed how many people had heard about Hermione's magical predicament and that no one knew what to say to her about it. When evening rolled around, she was more than thrilled to be by herself. Everyone gathered around the common room to catch up, but she excused herself, grabbed her dance bag, and slipped out into the hallway. It took very little time for her to reach her old hideout, the Room of Requirements. She didn't know how it had fared after the fire during the war, but she hoped it was able to be repaired.

Pacing in front of it three times, relief flowed through her as the door appeared. Inside was almost as she remembered it. The big dance studio surrounded by mirrors and all sorts of things to help her practice was her home away from home, and she knew every inch of the space. That's how she knew that the door, hidden away behind tumbling mats was new. She crossed to it and slowly opened it up. Inside was a different type of practice room. There were trunks, and dummies, and all things the DA had used in her fifth year. Maybe if she fit some practicing in, her magic would be a little better tomorrow. But first she had to relax, and that required the space behind her.

Twenty minutes later, the door slowly opened, without notice from the room's occupant. Draco Malfoy peeked his head in, surprised to see her. He came down here whenever he visited the school. It was his only connection to Hermione and seeing her dancing in the space again took him back in time. He could remember the first time he saw her here.

_It had been a rough couple of days for him, since the Yule Ball. Stupid Granger had to show up looking like that. He couldn't get her out of his head. And to make matters worse, she had been avoiding him. He shouldn't have noticed, it shouldn't have even bothered him, but it did. Seeing her crying on the stairs that night, after the ball, he didn't know what possessed him to sit next to her. Crying girls was not his forte, but for some reason he couldn't just look the other way. All he had done was sit there, while she slowly stopped crying. They just looked at each other, and then she whispered thank you and ran off. He was left sitting there, looking like an idiot. And now she was everywhere and nowhere. He just couldn't figure out what his problem was and he was on a hunt to clear his mind. _

_ His exploits took him to the Room of Requirement. He paced back and forth and then quickly opened the door. While he had tried to imagine his little gym with his punching bag, he still had Granger stuck in his head and the Room took him to her. She hadn't noticed him yet, so he stood in the shadows and watched. She wore a black leotard, pink tights, and a swirly blue skirt. On her feet were pink point shoes tied in small bows. He recognized the music from Tchaikovsky's Nutcracker. His mother was a big fan of the ballet, having danced at a magic school when she was a little girl. They attended every show each year and it was all he could do to keep his mother from putting him in classes. Thankfully, his father has helped to squash that idea. _

_ Watching Hermione dance the Arabian dance, he was entranced by her movements. Walking around the halls, she appeared meek, always with her head in a book. But on the dance floor, she was regal. Her head was held high, with strong posture, looking as if that was where she belonged. He could have watched her forever, but the moment was broken the second she realized she had an audience. _

_ She jumped, stopping mid dance, to stare at him. As they looked at each other, a light pink graced her cheeks in embarrassment at getting caught. He stuttered, cursing himself for acting so un-Malfoy, and took a deep breathe. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to intrude. I don't know how the Room let me in."_

_ Hermione looked to the ground and was suddenly that meek school girl he'd seen since first year. "It's ok…" Seeing her like that made him angry. "Why do you do that?" His harsh tone made her look back up, alarmed, but he didn't stop. "When you dance, you command the room. You look strong. Why do you ever let someone take that away from you? Just one look at me and you're back to cowering. If you let people have that kind of control over you, then you're…. you're just a stupid muggle in disguise!" _

_ Hermione shrunk back when he started but as he yelled, she too got angry. "Excuse me! I'm not the one who walks around bullying everyone in sight. Do you know what bullying a sign is of? Low self-confidence! You need to put everyone else down just to feel good about yourself. I do not cower. I just prefer to keep to myself and my books than put up with your sniveling insults! You have no control over me."_

_ The fight intensified as he stepped towards. "You don't know anything about what you're talking about. You cower and you know it! Trying to hide in stupid Potty's shadow so no one can see you for who you really are, a disgusting, lowborn mudbl–" The slap cut him off, ringing through the air and leaving a red handprint on his pale face. Huffing, they glared at each other, neither knowing what to do next, but no one willing to back down. Looking back, that slap was the first moment of their blossoming friendship. No one could put Draco in his place like Hermione and that handprint was proof._

Draco smiled and touched the cheek she had slapped, remembering that fiery look in her eyes. That passion was something he learned to love about her, no matter how many times it got him in trouble. The song ended and she turned to look at him. The smile dropped and he didn't know what to say. She put her hands on her hips, awaiting an explanation that wasn't coming. "Are you following me?"

He looked shocked that she would draw that conclusion. "No! Why on earth would you say that?"

"Well, first at the feast last night, you couldn't stop staring at me. Then after Transfiguration today. You couldn't stop staring again during dinner tonight, and now you're in my room, spying on me from the door. You should have at least announced your presence instead of peeking in like a stalker."

His face flushed, like only she could make it do. "Now hold on a minute! Last night everyone was staring at you. That's what happens when you disappear one night without a word and then show up ten years later. You didn't think that would draw some attention? After Transfiguration, I was just being nice, which apparently was a mistake. And you haven't used this room in ten years. Not since you, you know, left the entire wizarding world without a note. I come here often so really you're crashing my space!"

"I left a note to Harry and Ron."

"Well, good to know they were the only ones you cared about. Some of us would have really appreciated some form of goodbye but clearly you didn't care." Silence fell as they glared at each other. After a few moments, Hermione spoke up. "Maybe they were the only ones who deserved a goodbye."

Draco looked down at the floor, no longer able to look her in the eye. Inside, anger and guilt were at war with each other. The silence stretched on. Hermione slowly backed up towards the other door, the movement catching Draco's attention. "You're running away from me again."

She shook her head, averting her gaze. "I have more important things to do than stand here in silence." As an afterthought, she included, "I'm not running." Turning she opened the door, and stepped into the other practice room. The door shut, and Draco could hear the locking spell put into place. He sighed, "That could have gone better." He didn't know why this was so hard. He just needed to talk to her. He needed to know why she left. It was clear by now that it was his fault. She was mad at him, but he had no idea why. He sat on the floor, leaning against some mats, lost in thought. When Hermione came out of the room two hours later, she found him in the same spot, fast asleep.

She bit her lip, not knowing what to do. After a little practice, she managed to conjure a bed and moved him into it. Setting the alarm in time for breakfast in the morning, she quietly snuck out and headed back to Gryffindor tower. Seeing him was so hard. She could think of a million things to say but they flew out the window the second he looked at her. She didn't think this was going to work out as well as she had hoped. But how could she explain how she felt to two ten year olds. Until you experience it, you can't understand just how close hate is to love.

* * *

The next day during the break after lunch found Hermione and Harry sitting in a very familiar office. Although McGonagall had been Headmistress for eleven years, very little had changed in the office. She kept her old teacher's office for most of the work and used on the Headmaster office on rare occasions. This meeting was one of the few special enough to get the extra privacy. Squirming under the gazes of Harry and the Headmistress, Hermione took the time to look over all the previous Headmasters' portraits.

"Ms. Granger, Mr. Potter said that you have some ideas as to help the school's current predicament? I plead you to tell us."

Hermione looked between the two for a moment before speaking. "In all honesty, Headmistress, Harry had the ideas. Something I said set him off, but I don't know what it could have been." Harry sighed and rolled his eyes. "You were talking about putting on a show as a fundraiser. Maybe we could even do a couple." He looked eager, offsetting Hermione's own hesitation. McGonagall jumped right on board, pulling out a piece of parchment to scribble ideas. The two focused back on Hermione, questions at the tip of the tongue.

Hermione shrank into her seat. "I said I didn't know how we could go about putting on a show. All but a few of my coworkers are muggles. While boosting fundraising would entail having the performance at Hogwarts, I can't exactly bring a bunch of my muggle friends here. And if we have the fundraiser some place muggle friendly, we lose a lot of magical business, thus cutting our profits in at least half."

McGonagall pondered the idea. "What if we had two shows? A couple of the board members are big fans of the current performance – eer – 'scene', for lack of a better word. I'm sure with their help, we can solve the performer problem with hosting at Hogwarts, and they can help influence and spread the word for the muggle friendly show."

The ideas kept flowing. Harry decided to throw it all on the table and sort from there. " – and we can use your modeling contacts to work on publicity," he rambled, turning towards Hermione. "Do you know of any strong photographers that would be willing to help?"

Hermione sighed. "The best you can get is my friend Jay. He'd latch onto this charity idea and roll with it for little to no charge. The only problem is that he's muggle. He's aware of the magical world, but just small tibits. He won't do it if he knows you're hiding things from him."

"We can make exceptions for that. If we can get muggle parents onto the grounds for final ceremonies, we can bring a muggle photographer here easily. What else would be needed?"

"Would we need models?"

"Or should we use students?"

Hermione stopped them before the questions ensued. "Models would probably work better. Jay would be more willing to work with them. My roommates are the best you'll find. If we can Jay on the grounds, than there shouldn't be a problem with one more muggle. Ravena is amazing and well informed about the wizarding world. Scarlet and Melody are magical so there's no problem."

Harry smiled and reached for Hermione's hand. "It's so great to have you here helping." Hermione tried to smile back, but it appeared as more of a grimace. The other two seemed not to notice and they finished up and rose. McGonagall beamed at her two students. "Thank you both so much for your help. I will contact the board about this turn of events and we will plan another meeting really soon. Now I believe you have a class to get to."

They all said goodbyes and Harry and Hermione headed down to Defense Against the Dark Arts. Reaching the classroom early, they ran into Ginny, Ron, Lavendar, and some of the other Gryffindors. Luna was the first to notice them, smiling her loop grin before returning to the conversation. Ginny picked up on Hermione's look right away and pulled her to the edge of the group.

"Are you ok? Harry seems thrilled so you three must have made some decent progress on the fundraisers." She smiled at Hermione's surprised look. "You really think my husband would be able to hide this kind of thing from me. I knew something was wrong before he even said anything. Now what's wrong?"

Hermione trained her eyes on a spot on the floor. "Am I a bad person? Because I don't feel good about this whole thing. My roommates and my friends from the muggle world will now be brought in to save the school and it makes my stomach twist. Why am I such an awful person?"

Ginny gave a sympathetic smile and wrapped her arm around the taller woman. "You are not a bad person. If that were true, you wouldn't have agreed to do any of it in the first place. This is a new life you have. For reasons of your own, it was not a place for magic or anyone from your past. Now everything is getting mixed together. You can't hide things when it's all out in the open."

Hermione looked at her, alarmed. "What gave you the idea I'm hiding anything? I never said anything!" Ginny's answer was a pointed look, saying she wasn't dumb. The current DADA teacher, Professor Milligen, walked in the door, calling for everyone to take their seats. Ginny whispered to Hermione before moving to a desk. "You wouldn't have run if there wasn't something to hide." Hearing that made Hermione sick to her stomach, a knot forming deep in her gut. She was distracted the whole class, hindering her already lacking magic abilities.

* * *

After dinner the next day, everyone was gathered in the common room. Hermione sat silently staring into the fire while everything carried on around her. It was Ron who first noticed, looking up from his game of wizards chess against Harry. "Hey, you're getting quiet again." Hermione looked up to see both boys and their spectators gazing back. "I'm just thinking." Ron sat back and looked at her. Ginny stopped gossiping with Parvati to listen in. Ron continued, "I've learned that your silence is not a good thing. Looking back, you were quiet for a long time before you left and nobody noticed."

Her leaving was a subject that they had all been avoiding until now. It was like the whole room was holding its breath for what came next. Harry broke the silence, "Please don't get quiet." Hermione didn't really know how to respond. The looks on their faces, full of sadness and pain, just broke her heart. This is what stopped her from saying goodbye the first time, and from coming back sooner. "I can't help but think. It's who I am."

Ron slammed down the chess piece in his hand. "Don't give us that! You don't come back just to leave again. This time you have to talk. Tell us what we did wrong; what's making you want to run again!"

Hermione looked at him, shocked at his outburst. "What made you think it was you? You did nothing wrong! There was nothing you could have done back then to change things."

"And now?"

"I don't know what you mean." She looked at Harry in confusion. He looked at her with sorrow in his eyes. "And now. What can we do now? Did I cause this? You've been quiet since I talked to you two days ago, nearly silent since our meeting with McGonagall. Did I do something to make you want to run?"

She looked around the room, at all the people she had left behind. Looking down, she sighed, "I'm not going to run. I won't go back on my word. –" "Cuz that stopped you before…" She glared at Ron, " – but I have others to think about now. I can't just jump back in with both feet."

"Oh so now you care about everyone else's feelings? It didn't matter how it affected the rest of us ten years ago. How did you get so caring now?"

"Why are you yelling at me! You don't know anything that's going on. This is just like you, jumping to conclusions before you know all the facts. I would have thought, as a father, you would understand what I mean."

Silence followed her last words and she and Ron stood off against each other. Ron stuttered while Ginny connected the dots. "So I was right." Hermione turned to look at her. "Unless in catching up, you forgot to mention getting married…"

She shook her head slowly and dropped her gaze. "I'm still just Granger. That hasn't changed."

"But something else has. How many live in your apartment, besides you and your three roommates."

"Two. It's a six bedroom penthouse."

Ron sunk back into his chair, looking deflated. However, not everyone looked very shocked. The idea had obviously occurred to Ginny, Parvati, and Lavendar. Ginny smiled, "How old are they?"

Hermione answered, not taking her eyes off Harry and Ron, "They turn ten in August. I didn't want to come here, but they schemed with my roommates and tricked me onto the train. Devilish kids, they are."

Harry and Ron were speechless. This was quite the curveball thrown at them. Surprisingly it was Harry that gaped like a fish. Ron was the first to speak, "Twins are rarely on time. Luna's boys were three weeks early. When was your due date?"

It surprised her that Ron was the one doing the math. She wasn't the only one thrown off, seeing the looks Seamus, Dean and Neville exchanged behind him. Harry had started counting back as well. She sighed and took a seat, turning back to the fire. "About two months. They were dangerously premature. But after doing some research, I discovered that it wasn't as uncommon in magical births. Still, the muggle doctors kept them in the hospital for a couple of weeks just to be sure."

"So that would mean… –"

" – January." Ron turned to glare at Harry. "I was gone in January. It was just the two of you for about a month." Harry was silent, looking at Hermione in confusion. It was Ginny who piped up. "Harry's not the father. I trust him when he said nothing happened between the two of them. I don't know who the father could be, but I don't believe its Harry."

Hermione continued to stare into the fire as the argument ensued around her. This was not how she imagined it would go, telling them about the twins. In all honesty, she had evened decided if she would tell them yet. But it just slipped out and Ron is more observant than he used to be. She couldn't take it back now, but she also didn't need to tell them anything more. At least, not yet.

"Harry's not the father, and Ron, you would be daft to think otherwise. I snuck out one night, a little while after the Christmas endeavor in Godric's Hollow, right before you returned. It was stupid and dangerous thing to do, but I don't regret it. However, he doesn't know about the kids. I wasn't planning on telling you until after I told him."

"And you won't tell us who he is, until he knows?" Hermione nodded and Ginny sat down next to her, wrapping her arms around the hunched form. "I think we can all live with that. I hope someday you'll introduce us to the little darlings. I always dreamed that our kids would be friends." Finally Hermione looked up and smiled back at the little redhead. "That will be sometime. Unfortunately, they look nearly identical to their father. I always thought that I could hide it. They have a different last name and live in the muggle world, but their magic is strong and their looks even stronger. I'm afraid I'm now working with a deadline."

Harry moved to sit next to her while Ron kneeled in front and looked her right in the eye. "It hurts that you felt like you had to keep this from us. But no matter how hard I try, I could never be mad at you. I hope you know that."

Harry chimed in, "Although, maybe a little mad." They all looked at him. "You were four months pregnant in the final battle. I know you had already figured out you were pregnant. I can't believe you put yourself in all that danger. I would have locked you up in a safe place far away, if I'd known." He smiled and grabbed her hand. Hermione choked out a little laugh, through the tears rolling down her cheeks. One by one, she looked them each in the eye; sweet Neville, crazy Seamus, quiet Dean, her boys Harry and Ron, her best friend Ginny, and even Lavendar and Parvati. They had had their hard times during the school years, but she was surprised to find she trust each and every one of them now. They were her Gryffindor family. Neville smiled and slid his hands his pockets. "Don't worry, your secret is safe with us." and she knew he was right.

** Sorry again that this chapter took so long! It was very hard to write, but I think I like how it turned out. Pretty please review. I'd love to know your thoughts and if there's any questions or critics. The more you review, the more inspired I am to write!**


	4. Chapter 4

**This was a hard chapter to write. I was sick for a couple of days which helped. There were just a few parts that wouldn't sound right. I hope you enjoyed it and if anyone's willing to do some editing for me, I would love the extra help! Let the worlds collide!**

**Disclaimer****: JK Rowling owns most of the characters and back-stories. If you don't recognize it from the Harry Potter books or anything else Rowling has published, then it belongs to me!**

* * *

**Chapter 4**

The next morning felt a little forced. Everyone was loud and boisterous, but the one subject they really wanted to talk about was off the table. Hermione sat quietly in the middle of the group, picking at her plate. It was Ginny who finally broached the topic. Taking a glance around the room, she nudge her friend's shoulder and whispered, "If I can guess the father, do I get to know if I'm right?" Hermione looked up in alarm and Ron rolled his eyes. "Gin, what part of dropping the subject do you not understand? Just leave her be."

Ginny just shrugged. "It was just a question. I think I could figure it out." Harry sighed and shook his head at his wife, "We don't even know if he's in our year. What makes you think you know."

"Because I'm observant! He's definitely in this room right now. I know it." Hermione glanced at the table across the room, only to find Malfoy staring right back. She quickly dropped her gaze. "I'm sure Gin would be able to figure it out. The only problem is, I'm not going to announce it if she does guess right and I'm not so sure she could keep the secret to herself." Ginny gaped at her. Hermione smiled, "No offense, Gin. But like you'd really be able to not even tell Harry."

Harry laughed, while Ginny tried to appear offended. Ron patted her hand. "You'll figure it out anyway. Just try to leave our 'Mione alone, ok?" She huffed her agreement and breakfast continued.

* * *

The day continued on, not so smoothly. Ginny was watching Hermione's every move and Malfoy seemed to be everywhere she looked. It was hard to focus on what was going on around her while the timer in the back of her mind counted down. They left the next day; she was running out of time.

During their break before dinner, Hermione and Harry went up to McGonagall's office for one last meeting about the fundraisers and publicity shots. She had gotten McGonagall's help protecting her laptop so that she could email Jay without it breaking. He was scheduled to arrive in 15 minutes and she was nearly shaking with nerves. Reaching the office did nothing to calm her down. As she looked around at the Board members, one exceptionally blonde head stood out among the rest. Harry had forgotten to mention that Malfoy was also on the board. They were the youngest members, by at least twenty years, the rest appearing to be the typical Ministry employees, with their pressed suits and closed off expressions. One kindly gentleman caught Hermione's eye and smiled.

Headmistress McGonagall stood to greet them. "Headmistress, I hope we aren't late." She smiled at them. "Of course not! The Board is a very punctual group." She gestured to the rest of the room who in turn nodded their agreements.

"Ms. Granger, let me introduce you." She pulled the girl to her side and began on one side of the room, working her way around. It would be a struggle for Hermione to remember the names later in the day, for their faces all seemed to blend together. "Here is Gwen Tributter, Rolf Standwelm, Ellen Gerasty, Tiffany Saharty, Jeevika Artlar, Donothan Dribty, Jack Markolo –" He smiled another comforting smile. " – Vinique Zealand, Timothy Navarious, and Samanda Kirshelle. You, of course, know Mr. Potter and Mr. Malfoy."

Mr. Markolo stood and clapped his hands together. "Now the headmistress has explained the rough plan of things. Is your photographer friend here yet? I would love to get the ball rolling."

Hermione smiled. He seemed like the most open of the group, and the one she hoped to work with the most. "His name is Jay Rezner, but he detests going by a title. Please just call him Jay. He should be arriving at the gates any moment. Because of his muggle nature, I was under the impression someone would have to help him inside the grounds."

"Oh of course!" McGonagall threw her hand to her head. "How could I have forgotten such a detail. I will send Hagrid to meet him at the gate and we will join them at the front entrance." She quickly sent a patronus message to Hagrid and ushered the group out the door. It was a short walk to the front doors. Hermione managed to slid in next to Harry and quietly whispered. "You forgot to mention Malfoy was on the board with you."

He frowned down at her. "I'm afraid it didn't come to mind. Is there a problem with him being here?"

She simply shrugged. "I would just prefer to not work with him in particular."

"I'm sure we can figure a way around that." He patted her on the shoulder. By the time they stepped outside, Hagrid had appeared with a companion. Jay was a small thin man with a giant personality. He kept his hair shaved close, so as not to require his attention. His professional meeting attire consisted of black skinny pants and shiny black dress shoes with a dark blue sweater over an electric blue button-up. It was all topped off with a blue and pink stripped circle scarf around his neck and a camera bag over his shoulder. As he neared the group, he found Hermione immediately.

"MYA MARIE LUKAS! Get over here and hug your savior!"

Ignoring the stares of the rest of the group, Hermione ran down the steps and flung herself into Jay's arms. He laughed and hugged her tightly before pulling back and kissing both cheeks. 'If the French can do it, then we must as well' was his explanation the first time. "Oh Jay, I feel like it's been forever since I've seen you!"

He let out this clamorous laugh. "Well honey, it would have to have been ages. Last time we looked at a school uniform, you told me I had to wait for Hell to freeze over first. What is this?"

She laughed and smacked his arm. "This is my school uniform. You know, the school you're here to help."

"Oh but of course." He calmed down, straightening his scarf and turned to the rest of the group. "Please accept my apologies. Ms. Lukas and I go back a long time. Working together, it is rare for us to be apart more than a few days and I'm afraid it has been almost two weeks now."

McGonagall smiled and descended the stairs. "It is completely understandable. Although here we unfamiliar with the name Lukas. Ms. Granger?" Hermione blushed, "I'm so sorry, Headmistress. As a performer, I go by the name Mya Marie Lukas. It's been ten years now, I forget that some do not know me by that name." Jay gave her a little curious eyebrow raise to which she replied, "My given name is Hermione Anne Granger. It is the name I kept until I was 18. Anyway, this is Minerva McGonagall, Headmistress of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Behind her is the board of governors. I explained some of this in my email to you yesterday."

Jay looked at them all with a little awe in his face. "Ah honey, you weren't kidding. It is a pleasure to meet you Headmistress. Just tell me how I can help."

The headmistress smiled and gestured up the stairs. "How about we begin with a short tour, covering a few places of the castle and then we can talk business." Addressing the board, she said, "If you would like to accompany us, that would be marvelous. If not, we will finish the tour in the Great Hall to talk before dinner." They all nodded and most moved off into the Hall to wait. Only Harry, Malfoy, Mr. Markolo, and two other ladies stayed behind. McGonagall nodded her approval and began the tour with Jay, Hermione falling behind between Harry and Malfoy. The next half hour was a very awkward experience, with her accidentally bumping into Malfoy twice and brushing his hand on countless occasions. No matter how hard she tried to scout away, the space between them was claustrophobically small. When they finally reached the Great Hall, Hermione jumped up to stand on the other side of Jay and link arms. McGonagall lead them to the front of the Hall to gather around the teachers table, where the rest of the board sat waiting.

"Well Mr – umm Jay, what do you make of our establishment?" Mr. Markolo moved up to lean against the table.

Jay gazed up at the ceiling, mesmerized for a moment before responding. "It is really quite a beautiful place, sir. I would love to photograph it. To be able to capture all the history in its architecture and decoration, would be such an honor."

The group beamed with pride and Hermione stepped forward. "We were hoping you would say that. Hogwarts has never needed to advertise before, but with the changing times, student numbers and funding are dropping. When Harry came to me for help, I instantly thought of you."

Jay leaped on the idea. "I know a million ways to publicize! We could start with a photo shoot all across the grounds and then use the photos to compile posters, brochures, all sorts of things –"

" – I was thinking Mel, Scar, and Ray would be perfect for the job. Ray's the only muggle and Headmistress said that we could make an allowance for her as well."

Jay took a second to gaze around the Hall, looking from banner to banner. "You said there are four houses?" Hermione nodded. "Then that should work. Four models, to represent each house. –"

"Wait, I only said three."

" – Oh honey, if you're not going to be one of my models, I'm afraid I must refuse the gig." Hermione shut up. "Now as I was saying, one model per house. We can film around the castle, in uniform, truly capturing the experience of going to school here." He reached into his bag and pulled out four photos. McGonagall took them and projected them onto the wall behind the table. "Oh now that is cool." Looking down at the group was four girls. The left was a chest up of Hermione. She was looking over her shoulder with a sly smile on her face, her hair falling down past the bottom of the picture in soft curls. It was a beautiful shot. Harry slipped his arm around her with a smile, while she avoided the gaze of the blonde on their left. Next to Hermione's photo was a full-body of a blonde, Mel, in a summer dress. She was leaning against an apple tree, eating an apple with a giant grin plastered on her petite face. Next was a chest- up of Scar, laying across a settee, her wild red hair taking up most of the frame. Last was Ray, in jeans and a sweater, swinging around a light-post in downtown London. The background was blurred to make her black hair and grey eyes pop.

Mr. Markolo assessed the photos, "These are stunningly beautiful girls. They will portray our school perfectly. Are these photos you took, Mr. Jay?"

Jay beamed with pride, ignoring the 'Mr.' "They sure are, sir. It is important for the girls to have up-to-date head and body shots for work. These were shot about five months ago. I have giant porfolios of each, and separate ones of them together. We have been working together for quite a long time."

Hermione blushed at the compliments for her and her roommates, continuing on in the planning. "I think Ray would truly embody Ravenclaw." She pointed and the emblem of Ravenclaw appeared at the bottom of the photo. "The house stands for knowledge and learning. You know how much she loves posing in libraries."

Harry snorted, "Sounds like somebody else I know." Hermione elbowed him in the ribs and continued. "I think Scar would make a great Gryffindor, but I'm worried about her hair. It might be a little too much red for the photo." Jay laughed. "Don't tell her I said that."

Malfoy spoke up, "I do believe the Gryffindor should pose for the house. It seems only fitting and everyone knows what house you were in." He didn't look at her when he spoke, but she felt the shivers go down her spine.

Jay didn't notice her discomfort. "Brilliant idea! The red and gold will match your complexion quite well. Now what are the traits for the other two houses?"

Harry chimed in. "Hufflepuff takes pride in their loyalty and Slytherin is known for being cunning and mischievious."

"Mel has to be Slytherin. There's no question about that. Plus you know how amazing she looks in green with her eyes." A Slytherin emblem appeared below the blonde and Scar was assigned Hufflepuff. Jay looked at the pairings for a moment. "I don't mean to be rude, but who chose the Hufflepuff colors? Yellow and black is not the most flattering combination, especially with all that hair. Not that my dear Scarlett can't pull it off. She looks good in anything I put her in. It just seems like a very unfortunate mix."

"Jay! It can be gold as well!"

"Oh good! Less yellow, more gold. That will be the plan." Hermione rolled her eyes and then gasped. "OH! what if we did more than shoot as students?"

The group looked at her with confusion but Jay caught right on. "Yes! Why stop at showing people what a great school Hogwarts is, when you can expand and show how successful it is as well. We will shoot you four in successful wizarding careers, showing that it's all thanks to your wonderful education!"

"Exactly! Now Ray would look stunning as a business woman. We can put her in a suit, make her a Ministry worker, very successful and smart. And Scar can be with animals." Jay looked at her with raised eyebrows. "There's a department in the Ministry that deals with the Care of Magical Creatures. With her red curls, she already has that very nature-esque look to her and she would be making a difference."

"Great! Now what about you and Mel?"

Hermione hesitated but Malfoy covered for her. "How about a Healer and a Quidditch player?"

Jay looked at him like he was crazy. "I think I'm going to need more information." Hermione smiled and helped out. "A healer is a wizard doctor, -" "always a hit." " – and Quidditch is the wizarding sport. Think a weird mix of basketball, football, and American football, but with three goals on each side and all on brooms in the air. Harry can explain more of the details to you later."

"Brilliant! Your world is quite a trip, isn't it? Anyway, I would think that the dangers of such a sport would fit in well with the mischievous and cunning, don't you agree?"

"It also takes bravery. I think Slytherins would make wonderful Healers." Malfoy seemed to take offense to Jay's ramblings. Hermione looked at him questioningly. "I'm sure that's true, but Mel would have a much better time on a broom than myself. Photos of me in tears are not going to get the point across. Besides, I used to think I would go into Healing, so I guess it fits."

Mr. Markolo laughed, "No need for anyone to get offended. Mr. Malfoy is one of the best Healers I know, -" Hermione's eyes widened in surprise. "– but I do agree with the others, that having the little blonde on a broom would be more successful." Jay beamed his thanks at the man.

"You, sir, have an amazing sense of business. I like you." He turned back to the photos on the wall. "I believe we have a plan. Now to schedule it all out. When would we like to do the photo-shoot? The sooner it gets done, the sooner I can get to editing it."

McGonagall pulled a small appointment book out of her robes. "I do agree. The reunion activities end tomorrow and everyone will be packing up and leaving. Perhaps later in the week would be preferable?"

Jay nodded. "I will have to check with the other girls and work on outfits. Hermione, can you see about retrieving the necessary articles of clothing? I can email you the other girls measurements." She nodded her head. "And maybe find a place where we can buy the uniforms. I would love to have the set on me. Maybe we could do a Halloween thing this year!" He grinned cheekily at Hermione, as she rolled her eyes.

"Never going to happen."

"Whatever you say sweetheart."

People began to file into the Hall. McGonagall consulted a pocket watch. "It appears to be dinner time. Jay, Governors, I would be honored if you would join us for the meal. I'm glad this will all work out and I will contact you all in regards to different scheduling matters. Are there any concerns from anyone?"

Everyone shook their heads. One older woman spoke up, "It appears that you have everything under control. I believe we will leave the majority of work to you, Mr. Malfoy, Mr. Potter, and Ms. Granger. If anyone else wishes to help, they can contact any of you. Other than that, simply contact me with budget concerns. We will work out money as time progresses. Mr. Jay, Ms. Granger, I would really appreciate it if you could work out your expenses and notify me as quickly as possible."

"Do not worry about me," Jay flipped his hand, "This is a good cause, and I'll do it for free. And I know the other models. We won't cost you a dime."

McGonagall looked at him gratefully. "That means the world to me, thank you." Good-byes were exchanged and the few board members not staying for dinner departed. Harry and Hermione lead Jay over to the Gryffindor table to introduce him to the rest of the group. He was shocked when the food appeared, nearly falling off his seat in surprise. It was a good distraction. Jay was the center of attention for the rest of the meal, allowing Hermione to slip into the shadows for the first time since her arrival four days ago.

* * *

After seeing Jay off and promising to contact him as soon as she got home the next day, Hermione decided to visit one place she hadn't seen in ten years. With everyone upstairs, she finally had some time to herself. As much as she loved her friends, they had been acting like if they left her alone, she would disappear again. She understood where they were coming from, but the whole process was a little suffocating.

She wandered through the familiar halls before coming to an old familiar sight. Even though it was late, the library doors were thrown wide open as if welcoming her back. Although her home was by no means small, the kids and the dance studio had forced most of her library to be packed up in boxes and sent to storage. Her favorites lined the walls of the study, but it wasn't the same as being in a large homey library. She walked through the doors and took a deep breath in, already feeling calmer. This place was home.

The big place appeared to be empty, just the way she liked it. Slowly she began to wander through the shelves, saying hello to all her old friends. When she was younger, one of her favorite things to do was get lost in this big place. No matter what happened, she would run here, wander around and by the time she found her way back out, the world was good again.

Nearing a back corner, she came across a sitting area with a fire. This had been one of her favorite places to curl up and read. It seemed she wasn't the only one to enjoy this spot, according to the blonde hunched over a table with his back to her. Where ever she went, she could never seem to escape from him. With everyone leaving tomorrow, she knew now was her last chance, so she fought the urge to turn and run. As quietly as she could, she move toward him and slipped into a chair on his left. It took him a second for him to acknowledge her, but from the way his shoulders had tensed, he had known she was there since she started walking. After a few minutes, she decided she would have to break the silence, but he had other ideas.

"Thank you for the bed the other night, and the alarm. It was a nice touch."

She smiled. "You were never one that could miss breakfast. I couldn't have you prowling the halls killing everyone who looked at you, just because of a bad night."

He didn't laugh like she had hoped. Instead he shifted and continued staring at his book. "How thoughtful of you." She sighed. This was not going as planned, but it was really silly of her to think it would go otherwise. She didn't deserve any better.

"I'm sorry for that night. It was uncalled for." He finally looked up at her.

"Why did you come back?"

"What?"

"You heard me. Why did you come back? You left for a reason so why did you come back?"

Now it was her turn to break the eye contact. She should have expected this, but again she was caught off-guard.

"No answer? That's what I thought." He closed the book and started to stand. She quickly grabbed his wrist, stopping him.

"Please don't leave. I just... This is hard for me. I'm sorry."

His glare chilled her to the bone. It made her feel like she was a first year again. "Because it's just a walk in the park for everyone else. Poor Hermione is having such a hard time. I guess we should all give her our sympathy because this is just really hard for her. This was your choice. The rest of us were given no say. Some of us weren't even given notice. You were just gone. So you can't just sit here, looking all pathetic and sad and expect me to just accept your apology and say everything's ok. It's not fair. I get to be mad."

As hard as she tried, she couldn't hold back the tears. Everything he said was true, but it hurt none the less. Suddenly his lips were on hers. It was full of aggression and anger, and love. Before she knew it, she was out of the chair and in his arms. His hands were everywhere, on her hips, around her body, pulling her hair. It felt so good, and so right. He picked her up and set her on the table, pressing himself against her. She didn't want it to stop. But just as she thought that, it was over. She was left panting on the table while he stood against a book shelf, struggling to catch his breath.

"Stop doing that to me."

She gaped at him. "I don't know what I did. That wasn't exactly what I was expecting." He rolled his eyes.

"Don't give me that. You know what you did. Sitting there with those tears in your eyes, it's not fair! I've been trying for ten years to move on, to get over what you did to me. And then you just waltz in here like the world is great. It hurts. So just stop."

They just stared at each other after his little speech. She didn't know what to say to that. Looking at him in so much pain, her heart squeezed with guilt. Hearing no response, he nodded, the mask falling over his emotions, and turned away. She whispered, "I'm sorry." He paused a second, before walking away. She was left sitting on the table, watching him walk away like he had watched her so many times before. For once, they had switched places and she felt his pain.

* * *

Hermione didn't sleep well that night, and woke up early the next day. She was packed and ready to go an hour before breakfast and decided to go down and wait. Taking a book, she curled up in front of the fire.

She was broken out of her trance an hour and a half later to Ron and Harry coming down the stairs. They saw her and hopped over the back of the couch. Ginny and Lavender scolded them from a few steps behind before Gin wrapped her arms around Hermione from over the back of the chair. "Ready for breakfast?"

She smiled in return. "Of course. I've been waiting for an hour!" She closed her book. "Just let me put my book away." She ran up the stairs, put her book away and joined the rest of the group to head down. Ginny linked arms with her.

"I can't believe this is our last day. In just a few hours, we'll be on that train heading home and it'll be another ten years before we all come back. How sad is that?"

Lavender laughed. "It would be sadder if we didn't see each other all the time." There was a little awkward pause as Hermione felt everyone glance at her. She took a deep breath. "And I expect lots of letters!" They all laughed and sat down for breakfast. She knew that was the right thing to say. She had to bring them back into her life slowly, but she was excited for the work. It would be worth it to have her friends back. Looking across the hall, she found the blonde she had been looking for. Unlike the rest of the reunion, he had stopped watching her. It reminded her that not everything was ok yet. She hoped she would be able to find a way to make it up to him.

But for now, it was all she could do to enjoy her time with her friends. She tuned back in to the conversation as Ginny was talking about the kids. "Don't forget to talk to Malfoy about Friday. Little Scorpius is in our carpool for the tour of Gringotts."

Hermione started. "What are you guys talking about?"

"Oh the kids all go to Helvit, a magical primary school. Jame's class has a field trip on Friday to Gringotts and Harry volunteered to chaperone. Scorpius Malfoy is in his class."

"I didn't realize Malfoy had a child."

"Oh yes, just the one son. It was quite a shock. He was betrothed to the young Astoria Greengrass. The wedding was planned in a quick whirl of things and 7 months later, she had Scorpius. They said he was born early, but I think he got her pregnant on accident and they had to rush the wedding to cover the scandal. The boy is very sweet."

"If you ask me, he takes after his mother and got none of his father in him. Thank goodness for that." Ron got hit by both his wife and his sister. "No one asked you."

The conversation continued on as they boarded the train, but Hermione was no longer a part. Her head reeled with what she just learned. _He had a kid. In his rant last night, he forgot to mention the wife and child he had at home._ _How could she tell him about the twins and break up the family he has? She wasn't that selfish. He deserved this happiness._ While getting off the train at the station, saying goodbye to everyone and promising to write, she tried to avoid the blonde man leaving as well. Hailing a taxi, she allowed herself one last look before leaving, the tingle of their last kiss still hot on her lips.

* * *

** Well the beauty of being sick means a lot of time to write. This chapter came together a lot faster than I thought it would. Thanks for all the support and please, please review! Hearing from you really helps to motivate me.**


	5. Chapter 5

**I'm sorry this chapter is shorter than the others and it took so long for me to post it. School has been extremely rough on me. I know the chapter is a little scattered, but it will get better soon. I've got big events written out and now am trying to play filler, which is not easy. I hope you enjoy it and thank you for the reviews!**

**Disclaimer****: JK Rowling owns most of the characters and back-stories. If you don't recognize it from the Harry Potter books or anything else Rowling has published, then it belongs to me!**

* * *

**Chapter Five**

Draco pushed the door open, calling into the house. "Hello? Anybody home?"

"DDAAAAAAAAAAAADDDDDDDDDDDD!" A blonde boy streaked down the stairs at the end of the entryway and tackled him. There was a chuckle from the stairway and then an older blonde woman appeared. Narcissa smiled and greeted her son with a hug. "Oh darling, so good to see you again! How was the event?"

"Well there were some interesting things, but first, how was this guy?" 'This guy' pulled out of the hug and looked all the way up. "Dad, of course I was good. That's a silly question!"

Draco couldn't help but smile and pat the top of his son's head. "Well of course. Now why don't you run upstairs and pick everything up. I've got a surprise for you tonight." The boy jumped up and down in excitement before turning around and racing back up the stairs. Narcissa looked up at Draco with a popped eyebrow and gestured towards the couch in the sitting room. As they sat, she peppered him with questions.

"Yes, Mother. The whole affair was lovely. Your help in planning did wonders. The competition was a brilliant idea and everybody loved it. I finally beat Potter in a Quidditch match which felt as great as I had imagined…. Slytherin and Gryffindor actually tied at the end of whole week. And something big happened…."

He hesitated and she smacked his hand. "Darling, you mustn't keep such gossip from your mother. I have a reputation to uphold."

This just made him grin. "Well we couldn't risk ruining that now, could we?" A very serious look from his mother made him continue. She took such things as serious as life and death. "Hermione Granger has returned."

"What!"

"Yes she appeared late to the feast Wednesday night. After ten years, she just walked in the door and apologized for being late. As if she was there all the time."

"Well how is she? What has she been doing all these years?"

"It's not like we sat down for coffee and caught up! She's a model and a dancer. She's no longer wonderful at magic. Apparently she left her wand behind when she ran and hasn't performed magic since. It was weird to see her struggle in the classes."

Narcissa sat back and looked at the man in front of her and remembered back to the day they found out about Granger's disappearance. She had always known her son had feelings for the girl, but after his sixth year, she began to suspect it was more than just a little crush. The look on his face the split second he found out, before he hid it was proof enough. Ms. Granger had been incredibly important to Draco and for some reason she had just left. Draco didn't know his mother was so observant. For a long time, it wasn't safe to discuss such things, and then she was gone so it would have been just too painful for him.

"Will you be seeing her again?"

Draco looked at his mother sharply. "Why would you ask that?"

"You didn't answer the question."

He sighed. "She came up with some brilliant ideas to help the school so we will be working together for a little bit. It's a collaboration between Potter, Mr. Markolo, Granger, and I, and anyone else on the board interested in helping. Now you didn't know about any plans so why did you ask that question?"

Narcissa rolled her eyes. "I was wondering if she was sticking around or if she was going for just an appearance every reunion."

"Oh." He looked at his mother suspiciously for a moment. He didn't believe that was the only reason. Before he could say anything, however, feet pounded down the stairs and into the sitting room.

"Dad, I'm ready! What's the surprise?"

Draco laughed, "If I told you, it wouldn't be a surprise! Now give your gran a kiss and say thank you."

The little boy drooped. With his bag dragging on the ground, he walked over to Narcissa. "Thank you, Grandma. I had a fun time. I hope I get to come back soon." He kissed her on the cheek and then looked to his dad for the 'okay'. Draco rolled his eyes. "That sounded so sincere, I almost believed it. Next time Scorp, sound a little happier, like you actually had fun and want to come back."

Now it was Scorpius' turn to roll his eyes. "Dad, it was fun. But I would much rather know what my surprise is. You can't disappoint a boy and then expect him to sound happy. That is really asking too much. And besides, I don't have to wish and hope to see Grandma soon. I'll be here tomorrow after school, until you get off. So really it's just 'see you tomorrow'."

Narcissa laughed at the two boys. "I thought it was very sincere and I know how much my grandson loves coming to spend time with me. Now off you two go." She ushered them out the door and watched while they walked down the walkway. As Draco opened the car door to his son, she could hear him say one last thing. "Ok, Dad, but really. What's the surprise?" The door shut and Draco shook his head as he ran around to the driver's side. With one last wave to his mother, they were off and Narcissa was alone once more.

* * *

Hermione paused at the door and listened to the silence on the other side. Quietly opening the door, she snuck into the living room, looking for signs of life. Once in the large room, she could hear faint traces of music; wizard rock from Cae's room down the hall and classical from the dance studio up the stairs. Peeking over the arm of the loveseat were the bare battered feet of a retired prima ballerina she liked to call "Mum".

The slender woman was sprawled out, fast asleep. Hermione snuck over and softly tickled one foot before ducking under the arm. The bent leg shooting out, toes pointing, the woman sat up in alarm before frowning.

"That was not nice."

Hermione giggled and stood up. "Maybe you should try staying awake when babysitting next time. The kids could have burned the place down and you'd never know."

The older woman slid over the arm and came to her feet, rolling her eyes at her daughter. "As if your children would do such a thing! And besides, if tickling me softy wakes me up, I think I'd catch them before the whole place burned. Give me some credit, and a hug!" She wrapped her arms around the taller woman, the top of her head barely reaching her daughter's nose. "Cae's doing his homework and Cham's preparing for her audition tomorrow, for the summer show. The girls are all working at the club tonight."

Hermione smiled and kissed her mother's cheek. She had looks nearly identical to her mother's, the big golden brown curls, full red lips, soft heart-shaped face, even the petite sloped pug nose and lean, but curvy form. Her dad's tall form allowed her to reach 5'10" over her mother's petite 5'5". His dark blue eyes mixed with her mum's deep dark brown to make Hermione's sparkly mix that has been so popular in many a photo. The Granger's were really quite a beautiful family.

Her mum walked into the kitchen "So what am I supposed to call you now? Hermione or Mya?"

"Everyone here knows me as Mya. Changing that now would just be too confusing. I have to take this one step at a time."

A sigh came from behind the fridge door and her mother peeked back out. "I don't care what everyone else knows you as. I want to know what I'm allowed to call you. You know, I did name you Hermione, and therefore think it's a truly beautiful name! I would like to be able to use it every once in a while. For example, when you're in trouble, Mya Marie does not have the same satisfying ring to it as Hermione Anne Granger. Also –"

"Okay Mum! I give in. You may call me whatever your heart desires. Just remember who gave me the nickname 'Mya' in the first place."

"Oh hush!" She banged a couple bowls on the counter as the timer went off. Hurrying to pull the pulled pork from the oven, she continued. "I gave it as a nickname, not to be a part of your signature. Now grab the hamburger buns from the pantry." She moved toward the hallway and staircase. "OH MY FAVORITE GRANDCHILDREN! PUT ASIDE YOUR STUDIES AND COME ENJOY A RARE HOMECOOKED MEAL, MADE WITH LOVE!"

"Hey!" Her mother smirked at her as she returned to the kitchen and began dishing plates up. "That was no comment on you, my darling daughter. Merely an observation of the situation you abandoned them to for the last week."

"I was only gone five nights, I left a home-cooked meal for them to heat up the first night, and I'm fairly positive you've fed them at least three of the other four nights. Cae, can you define 'Majority' for me?"

The boy's face appeared over the top of the book he had been reading when he'd appeared at the end of the hallway. Tossing the golden hair out of his eyes, he answered. "Majority: a number that is greater than half of a total. When did you get home?" At the same time, the blonde ponytailed Cham came bouncing down the stairs. "MUM! You're home!" Both kids ran into their mother's open arms. Cae spoke up. "How long have you been here? I should have heard you enter!"

"Or seen it. What kind of spy kit is it, if it can't even handle a simple surveillance set-up?" He punched his sister in the arm.

"Woah, hold on! Who gave you a spy kit?"

"Grandma Jean!"

Hermione looked at her mother with eyebrows raised. "Since when did my child need a spy kit?"

Her mother started messing with the plates again. "Kids, you're in for a real treat tonight. One of my favorite things to eat at the conference last week was pulled pork sandwiches. So I found a recipe online and that's what we're having! I even mixed up a nice fruit salad to go along with it. Now hurry up before it all gets cold."

"Mom…."

"Hermione, be a dear and take this pitcher to the table. I made some strawberry lemonade, your favorite!"

"Mom! We talked about this before. I don't like you buying my kids these crazy toys without asking me first. You know I've said no spy kits. Cae has no business setting up surveillance throughout the apartment."

"Now really, dear. It's not that big of a kit. He just has a simple set up around the door. It's a little camera and motion sensor doodad with a laser trip-thing. What is so wrong with having a little security at the front door?"

The kids took their plates and hurried to the dining area. They'd heard this argument before and it never ended pretty. Hermione spoke in a low tense voice. "The security set up in the building is airtight. Mel and Scar have magic ones set up around the perimeter of the apartment. I don't need you constantly poking at Cae. He may be the only boy in the apartment, but he's just that, a boy! Having you and Dad pressuring him about being the man of the family is too much. We don't need a man around here. We are perfectly fine."

Her mother stopped and looked at her seriously. "The spy kit was not my idea. He really finds the stuff fascinating. We saw it at the store yesterday and he begged me. Even paid half of it with his own money. I know your father and I have been hard on you about everything, but I swear this was not my idea. With the kit also came a book series about an undercover spy. He's almost done with the third book already."

Hermione sighed and picked up her plate and the bowl of fruit salad. "Fine, but I don't like it." She walked away, the pitcher of lemonade floating in the air behind her. Her mother giggled. "Nice to see your magic back."

Hermione rolled her eyes and the kids gaped at her. "What? You've never seen a little magic before? What kind of school am I sending you to?"

Cham smiled. "We were just starting to question whether you actually had magic or not. That is so cool!"

"Well I do, and don't even think of trying anything until you're of age. There are very strict rules about underage magic, and you don't even know how to control yours yet. I want no explosions."

Cham simply rolled her eyes and went back to eating. Cae grinned cheekily. "Like that will stop her from blowing things up." A grape hit him square in the face and he matched his sister's glare. Grandma Jean put a quick stop to the whole thing. "There will be no more throwing of my delicious food. In your mouths only. Now finish your meal while your mother tells us all about her lovely vacation."

Hermione rolled her eyes and began her tale of the past five days as dinner preceded.

* * *

Draco apparated in front of the door to his flat, Scorpius sound asleep in his arms. The little boy was tuckered out after a fun movie and arcade night. He barely stayed awake through dinner. Draco pressed his fingertip to the door knob and the door swung open. Scorpius shifted in his arms and started mumbling. Draco strained to hear what his son was saying.

"….. don't wanna….. but mum…. no….. mummy… why….. where're you….. but daddy said… no"

Draco's heart stuttered. Scorpius's mother was not a topic for discussion with anyone. After what happened, he tried not to think about her and he hadn't thought Scorp even remembered her. But apparently he was wrong. His mother had warned him it was only a matter of time, especially now that the boy was in school. He was bound to get questioned why it was just the two of them. And after everything they had been through with the media, this was a subject better tackled sooner than later.

Draco put the little boy in his pj's and tucked him into bed. Lost in thought, he poured himself a drink in the kitchen and sprawled out on the couch. He had been thinking about this whole Hogwarts project and Miss Hermione Granger. As enthusiastic as Potter was about it, he was far too busy working in the Auror department to truly head up the project. Mr. Markolo had asked him to be correspondent since he was so in touch with the performing arts. Narcissa was still adamant about attending all performances and she refused to go alone. This meant that Draco would be forced to spend quite a bit of time with Granger, and he didn't know how he felt about it. As much as he insisted on hating her, he knew he never would.

Sighing he summoned some parchment and a quill. He knew he could not put it off any longer. If anything was to get done, he would have to write Granger and if he thought about it more, it would never get done. After scribbling a short note, he attached it to the leg of his striking black owl, Zyon, and sent him off, before falling into bed for a long sleepless night.

* * *

Hermione was curled up on the couch sandwiched between her dozing kids when they were all startled by a knocking on the sliding glass door. Her mother had left after dessert and the little family had cuddled up to watch a movie before bed. Looking towards the noise, she let out a small squeak at the sight of the owl knocking. Her kids were awed to see an owl at the door, but it was different for Hermione. She recognized the owl from a long time ago. While she sat staring in shock, Cham hopped off the couch and ran towards the door to let the bird in. It soared over to land on Hermione's arm and nibbled her ear affectionately. It seemed that her little friend remembered her well even after so many years ago.

"Mom, that's an owl."

"Thanks Cham. I know."

"But why did I just let an owl inside?"

"Wizarding mail, darling. Haven't you read the books I bought you that explain things like this?"

"We've both read them multiple times. I just…. There's an owl in our living room."

"Who's it from?"

"What does the letter say?"

Hermione slowly opened the letter, not sure what to expect. Inside was a short note scrawled in familiar handwriting. '_Mr. Markolo has asked me to play correspondent during this process. I think it best we meet soon to plan and discuss the events. –DM' _ She took a deep breath. This was the one thing she had been afraid of, working with him. She looked up to see her children looking at her expectantly, and realized she never answered their questions. "It is from one of the Hogwarts Governors. I am helping them with some fundraising events and he is going to be my correspondent."

Cham wrinkled her nose. "Isn't the board of governors full of stinky old people that have lived forever?"

Hermione laughed. "Not all of them smell. They are older, but not that ancient and there are two men on the board from my year at Hogwarts. Draco Malfoy and I graduated together. He is who I am working with."

"Is he cute?"

"EWW!"

"Cham, he's married with a son. And besides, he and I are not an option. Subject closed."

Cham pouted while Cae shook his head. "Thank goodness. That's just gross! You don't need anyone but us." Hermione smiled and hugged the two of them.

"Exactly! I've got everything I want right here. Now go get ready for bed. It's past your bedtime." The kids scurried off, shoving each other, and Hermione looked back down at the letter. Zyon sat patiently on the arm of the couch, waiting for her response. She sighed, summoning some paper and a pen, and scribbled a reply. Tying the letter to the bird's leg, she kissed it on the head and sent it off before heading to kiss her kids goodnight.

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**I hope you enjoyed this. The next chapter should be up soon! PLEASE REVIEW!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Being sick these past couple days has given me a good excuse to write so Ta-da! A New Chapter!**

**I would just like to clear up a quick thing with the kid's names. "Cham" is pronounced like 'Cam'. It's a bit of an astrological spelling of 'Cameron'. "Cae" is like 'o-KAY'. It's also an astrological name of Caelum. Just wanted to make sure you knew! **

**Disclaimer****: JK Rowling owns most of the characters and back-stories. If you don't recognize it from the Harry Potter books or anything else Rowling has published, then it belongs to me!**

* * *

**Chapter Six**

Hermione whirled around in circles. After a night full of tossing and turning, she had gotten up showered, changed her clothes five times, her makeup twice, and her hair about ten times. She had to get some breakfast but every time she passed her mirror, something didn't look right and she had to look perfect today. Mel knocked on her door just in time to see her look in the mirror, groan in exasperation, and run back into her closet.

"Mya, my darling, I think you need to try breathing."

"I just can't figure out what to wear! Nothing looks right, my hair's a mess and everything's wrong!"

Mel laughed and step into the closet, grabbing the other girl's wrist and pulling her out of her room. "How about you try taking a deep breath or two, calming down, eating some breakfast, and then we will help you get ready." She dragged the girl down the stairs and plopped her on one of the stools at the kitchen bar. Across the island, Cham was helping Ray cook up some pancakes and waffles.

"Mom, you look like a mess. What's wrong?" Scar looked over from her spot next to Cae on the couch. "Yea My, why so frazzled? I thought this was just a basic meeting with one of the governors. It's not like you're on a date or anything."

Mya dropped her head to the counter with a bang and groaned. "You guys don't understand. He and I have a complicated relationship. He used to torment me in the hallways and make me cry myself to sleep when I was little. And there are other things you just wouldn't understand. This has to go perfectly and uneventful."

Cham grinned. "Wow he must be crazy attractive."

My looked up and gave her daughter a glare. Ray caught the intensity and laughed. "Oh yea, from that look, he is extra fine!"

Mel grinned mischievously. "When exactly do we get to meet Mr. So-hot-he's-on-fire?" The other girls looked at her. "I'll work on the nickname. First draft only." Mya simply shook her head. "Never if I have a say. If I had a choice, I would have nothing to do with him. But he'll probably be at the photo shoot this weekend."

Cham jumped up and down. "Do we get to go? Please, mum, please! I promise we'll be good and stay out of the way. You know Jay loves having us around. Oh pretty please, Mum!"

"No."

"But – "

"No discussion. I don't want you there. You've got a dance rehearsal you can't miss and Cae's got a study group for his summer class. You'll stay here with your Grandmum."

Grabbing two plates of pancakes, Cham pouted her way over to the couch and sat down next to her brother. He took his plate and looked at her pout for a second. "Why do you care so much? It's not like this is her first photo shoot."

She looked at her brother in exasperation. "I don't care about the shoot. I want to meet this McSteamy!" Scar let out a big bleating laugh and Mya flipped around on her seat. "Excuse me, but who's letting you watch Grey's Anatomy? I though we agreed that was off limits. Plus it was a stupid show."

Mel gasped. "Oh how dare you! Nothing about McSteamy and McDreamy is stupid!" Mya rolled her eyes and put her plate in the dishwasher before heading back up the stairs to change. Mel yelled up after her. "You look just fine! And if you keep it up, you'll be late!"

Mya's response was to run the rest of the way up the stairs and disappear into her room. About ten minutes later, she came back down the stairs. She had finally decided on a dark fitted pair of skinny boot-cut jeans, a lacey raspberry tank top under a fitted dark blue ¾ sleeve blazer, topped off with 5" raspberry wedges, a blue chunky necklace, and a couple silver bangles. Her makeup was light and a little smoky and her hair half up in a messy bun, half down in soft curls. She looked amazing. Ray grinned. "Well it's about time! Are you sure you want to wear your hair like that, though?"

Mya froze and the girls laughed. Cae rolled his eyes. "Geez Mum, she was kidding, relax. I don't know why you're so freaked out anyway. You're such a girl." Mya laughed, ran down the stairs and kissed him on the cheek, leaving a small lipstick mark. "Gross! Mum!"

She laughed and grabbed a navy and raspberry messenger bag. "I love you too. Be good! Keep an eye on all these crazy girls and make sure they don't get into trouble." Cae simply waved over his shoulder and she walked out the door. Once outside, she took a deep breath and apparated to the Leaky Cauldron. She couldn't tell if her stomach was reacting to the apparition, since it had been a long time since the last time she had done it, or if that was the nerves speaking. Feeling her knees begin to quake, she decided to go with the second option. She wasn't just nervous, she was freaking terrified! After owling Monday night, she had time to talk with the girls and Jay, and arrange with McGonagall to set up the shoot for Saturday, and still had a day or so to wait before the Friday meeting with Malfoy. It had been hard to wait for the day to come, but now that she was standing here, she wanted more time. She wasn't ready to face him, not after that kiss and then finding out about the family he had at home. She didn't know how she was going to handle the situation. '_Oh why couldn't Harry work with me instead?'_

* * *

"And watch out with him. His magic started spiking about two days ago. Every time he gets mad at me, something blows up."

"Draco, just because he didn't have summer school the past two days doesn't mean I suddenly don't know how to take care of him. He started blowing things up over a week ago. I think I will be able to survive. Now you need to leave because you're going to be late. What are you so worried about?"

Draco sighed and handed over Scorpius' backpack. "I'm not worried. I just…."

Narcissa smiled and began to adjust his sports coat. "I know you're worried. Do not try and hide this from me. No matter what happened the last few times you've been around her, you both are professionals with jobs to do. Now go to your meeting and settle your business."

Draco hung his head from the scolding and gave his mother a hug. "I shouldn't be gone long." He turned around and headed out the door, taking a deep breath before apparating to the Leaky Cauldron. His stomach was twisting and turning with nerves, which doubled as soon as he saw her across the room. She looked stunning, even more so than he remembered as a boy. The school uniform and robes last week did not do her justice. He felt a weight settle in his gut as her eyes met his.

Hermione's breath caught as soon as she saw him. Resisting the urge to fix her hair, she took in his jeans and sports jacket over a light blue t-shirt. His hair fell loosely over his eyes that looked crystal against the color of his shirt. She swallowed nervously and returned his nod of acknowledgement before moving toward the table that he gestured to. They sat down in silence. Draco's heart was beating so hard, he was convinced she could hear it clearly across the table. She stared down at her hands for a moment thinking '_Calm and professional, you can do it'_, took a deep breath, and began.

"Well, Malfoy, was there anything specific you wished to discuss."

His heart dropped hearing her say that. There was a coldness to it that sent him back to fourth year, the way she used to talk to him before everything happened between them. Seeing her like that, all his nerves after their kiss had made him forget his anger, but it was rushing back. She had no reason to be mad at him. That was his right.

"I need to know the details of the event planned this weekend… Granger. You are supposed to be going through me to make arrangements. That is the role of the 'correspondent'. You got me in trouble."

She scoffed, surprised. "Excuse me, but I was not aware of these 'guidelines'. No one sent me a rule book. McGonagall had no problem conversing with me. We merely scheduled the photo shoot. There is no 'big' event."

"Then it appears Mr. Markolo is getting sore over nothing. Either way, I need the details of what will be occurring." He pulled a miniature briefcase out of his pocket, and enlarged it, rifling around until he found a calendar planner, some parchment, and a quill, looking at her expectantly. She quickly pulled out her planner, a notebook, and a pencil. Opening up to this weekend, she began.

"Jay, his team, and the models are scheduled to arrive at 6:00 am on Saturday. We have acquired a wizarding team to handle the equipment, do hair and makeup, etc. Jay and Ravena have received their passes, spelled to let them on the property. We will spend the day shooting around campus. Madame Malkins is providing us with uniforms. I will be stopping by after we are finished here to pick them up. The French designer Aurora Deveaux is providing the career outfits and her assistant will be delivering them tonight."

Draco reviewed the list he had just scribbled and compared it to a previous list. "I'm assuming that Deveaux is providing the accessories with the outfits, like a broomsticks and such? What about animals?"

Hermione's eyes widened. "I was hoping you could help with the Healer accessories. I'm afraid I'm used to muggle doctors. I'm not sure if you guys walk around with stethoscopes, or what not." Draco gave her a strange look. "But I completely forgot about the animals! I don't know what to do."

"First of all, Deveaux should know. She's been to a Healer once or twice in her life. We do enjoy our white coats and clipboards. As for the animals, I have some connections. What time do you want them there?"

"Umm..." She shuffled through her list of specific shots she'd typed up for Jay. "The plan is to get to career shots directly after lunch which ends at 1:00. There will be a half an hour for hair, makeup, and re-set up, but it would be great for everyone's sanity if the animals could simply arrive by 1:00." There was a small silence while they both scribbled. She looked up, and met his eyes, extending the silence to an uncomfortable point. "… Thank you….. That helps…."

He shrugged tensely. "That's what a correspondent does. I'm just doing my job."

"Yes well…." She began shuffling through her papers again. "Is there anything else you need to know? That is everything for tomorrow. The entire team is doing it for free so I don't have anything about a budget."

"Yes, that sounds about right. We can meet next week to begin plans for the performances. Markolo and Potter will want to be there for that, and a few other governors have expressed interest in helping as well." They both quickly packed up, jumping to get away from each other. Draco looked at her and nodded. "I will see you tomorrow morning, then, at 6:00 am."

Hermione stuttered. "You don't need to be there quite so early. Most likely we won't begin any filming until closer to 7:30 or 8:00 am."

He shrugged. "I'm overviewing the project and therefore will be there from the beginning. I am used to varied hours at the hospital. I can handle 6:00am." She nodded and they stood there for a moment, not knowing how to say goodbye. Keeping with tradition, Hermione shifted, nodded a "See you tomorrow", and ran out the door, into Diagon Ally. Draco watched her go, unsure of what to do. She could make him so angry and break his heart all at the same time. They never were very good at the communication thing. He smiled slightly when he thought about those crazy last few years at Hogwarts, the two of them. Comparing that to the meeting they just had, he felt the smile disappear. Adjusting the briefcase on his shoulder, he stepped outside and apparated home, hoping his son would cure this gloomy cloud hanging over his head.

* * *

Hermione shifted through the clothing rack for the millionth time that night. "Mum? The number stays the same, no matter how many times you count them. They're still all there." She turned to see Cae standing at the edge of the stairs, in skateboarding pajamas. He smiled. "We're ready for bed. Chammy's already curled up, pretty much asleep, with her book on her face. It's kinda funny."

She laughed. "Come on, short-stack. Let's go help your sister." She wrapped her arm around the little boy and walked him down the hallway. They stopped at the end of the little hallway. On the right was a door decorated in Disney stickers and ballerinas, with a sign at the top that read:

'_All Hail Queen Cham!_

_Enter Without Permission,_

_Lose Your Head'_

Her daughter was quite the character. She smiled and pushed the door open to an explosion. Cham was a big fan of all colors and the rainbow. Her walls were ombre, each one a different color (i.e: blue, purple, pink, and teal), but it was hard to tell behind all of the posters and pictures. Every inch of the floor was covered in lord only knows what. Mya exchanged a look with Cae before they began hopping over piles of things to reach the bed. Cham was sprawled across her Tinkerbell comforter, with a book of Grimm Brothers fairytales open across her face. Cae began to giggle. Mya sat on the edge of the bed and picked up the book, slipping a bookmark in place. Cham shifted and looked at them through bleary eyes.

"Hey sweetheart, just wanted to say goodnight. Why don't you get under the covers?" She murmured and slid under the covers. Mya turned to Cae. "Do you want me to sing to the both of you in here or do you want to go climb in bed and wait for me?" He climbed over his sister onto the other side of the full size bed and curled up under the covers. Mya smiled and tucked in the two kids, softly singing, "Rock-a-bye darlings, on the treetops. When the wind blows, the cradles will rock. When the bows break, the cradles will fall, and down will come darlings, cradles and all." She kissed them each on the forehead, whispered goodnight, and turned off the lights before weaving her way out the door and to the living room. Her roommates were all curled up on the couchs, eating ice cream and watching Disney's 'Tangled'. Mya laughed.

"I thought I just put all the kids to bed, but apparently I forgot three out here on the couch." Mel threw a pillow at her over the top of the couch. Mya climbed over the back and grabbing a spoon off the table, dived into ice cream container Mel was holding. "Not to ruin the mood that Tangled always puts us in, but there's something I should tell you all before the shoot tomorrow."

Scar paused the movie and turned toward Mel. "It's about McSteamy. Pay up." Mya looked shocked and Mel protested. "We don't know what she's going to say yet, so no."

"I can't believe you guys would make bets!" Ray snorted and gave her a look of disbelief. She shrugged and carried on. "Anyway, I know I haven't told you much about the twins' father, but I can't exactly hide it anymore. They really are the perfect blend of the two of us. You'd know in an instant. And I know it's crazy. I always thought I wouldn't have to worry about it, but I'm worried about it now, and with everything going on, and – "

Mel put her arm around Mya. "Girl, chill. So this Malfoy guy is Daddy and we'll know it the second we lay eyes on him tomorrow morning. You just wanted to give us a little heads up. Makes sense to me."

"No wonder you were out of control this morning. When was the last time you saw him? Like when he got you pregnant?" Ray shoved a scoop of ice cream in her mouth, completely intrigued. Mya sighed.

"The last time I saw him was the night of the Final Battle. I was four months pregnant. I saw him the night it all happened and then we were separated until the battle. During that I saw things I wished I never saw and I knew I had to get away. I left that night. He has no idea I got pregnant, doesn't have a clue why I left and I'm pretty sure he hates me for it. I almost told him, and I know I really should, but towards the end of the reunion I found out he has a lovely pureblood wife and a little 7-year-old boy. I love my kids and we're so good here. I'm sure his life is as perfect as his family had ever wished. I can't just go ruin that. But if I don't tell him, can you imagine what would happen? The kids look just like him. There's no denying they belong to him. They'll go to Hogwarts and everyone will know and that's not the way to find out about them either…"

She sat stabbing the ice cream repeatedly, finishing her little rant. Mel maneuvered the container out of her hands. "Okay, no reason to butcher the ice cream. I can understand the stress this must have put you in, but take a deep breath. Let us be the judge of looks come tomorrow. I can even do some snooping, you know how much I love doing that. There's no reason to panic until we know more. It's all going to be ok." She wrapped her arms around the girl, comforting her small sobs while the others gathered around.

Meanwhile, at the end of the hall stood a little brunette boy in skateboarding pajamas who had heard the whole conversation. He had been going to bed, but heard his mum start talking about his dad. His mind was reeling with the new information and he quickly snuck back into his sister's room.

"Cham, wake up… Cham."

"Ugh, what?"

"It's about our dad."

That had the girl awake. Their dad was not a subject open for discussion in the Lukas household. They knew he was a wizard and that Mum had left him and the whole world behind before they were even born. But it was always a topic on their minds. "What do you know?"

Cae dived right in to what he heard. "Mum says we look just like him, like a perfect mix between the two of them. She said that she only saw him once after she got pregnant but left that very night and never told him about us. He has no idea we exist. But Mum's afraid to tell him because apparently he has a wife and a son, who's seven. She doesn't want to disrupt his perfect life."

"Did she say who it was?"

"I don't know. I don't think I heard the whole conversation. I just heard Ray saying something about being pregnant and I caught Mum's whole explanation. But she didn't say any names. I do know that he'll be at the shoot tomorrow. Mel started talking about snooping around and seeing what she could find out."

Cham pouted. "I wish we were allowed to go." Cae gave her a very serious look and pinched her. "Ow! I understand now why we're not, but that doesn't mean I don't want to be there even. Can you imagine meeting our father after all this time? Finally getting to say, 'Hi Daddy, I'm your daughter Chameron and this is my twin brother Caelum, your son. Finally getting to look him in the eyes and see what he's like."

Her eyes glazed over a little bit as she thought of the possibilities. Cae rolled his eyes and pinched her again. "It's not some perfect dream. He has a life of his own, with a family that doesn't include us and Mum. He already has a son. For all we know, he could have a daughter now, too. We wouldn't be that special, just those kids from a mistake in his past. That's all we are."  
"Not to Mum."

"Of course not to Mum…. But to him. I don't want to ruin his perfect life. I don't want him to suddenly think he needs to be our father and get to know us. I don't want another brother or a stepmum that tries to replace our mum. I don't want this guy thinking that our life isn't perfect the way it is now and trying to fix it. I've seen those movies and read all those books. The perfect family comes along and next thing we know it, we're in a custody battle where Mum loses because she's a single mum, and we're stuck with a man we've never known, insisting we call him dad and trying to make us a part of his family."

Cham looked at him with tears in her eyes. "Why must you always see the bad? Mum is well off enough that he couldn't take us from her. We're almost of the age where we can give our own choices in the matter. No one can take us away. But it would be nice to learn about the other side. To see his 'perfect' family and know it's not really that perfect because he has us as well. It's not his fault he doesn't know us. You can't blame him for that. Blame him for your nose, cuz that's definitely not from Mum, but don't blame him for stuff he couldn't control. He will always be our father, whether we like it or not. But if we could meet him, at least we could get a chance to choose if we want him as our dad."

She reached over and wiped the angry tears from her brother's face. "You worry too much. I hope you know that."

He shrugged her off and rolled his eyes. "You sound too smart to be a ten year old."

"We both get that from Mum."

Cae curled up in his sister's bed, falling quickly to sleep next to her. The four women on the couch had dried any tears, cleaned up the ice cream and proceeded to fall into their own beds, oblivious to what had happened with the downstairs occupants. All slept deeply and peacefully. Meanwhile, in a flat not far away, a man lay by himself in a large bed, tossing and turning, all alone.

* * *

**PLEASE REVIEW! I love the reviews so much. It's what motivates me to write. I want to hear from you, even if you hate it. Tell me why. Just talk to me! (Hello Cabin-Fever, haven't seen you in a while. Now you're just making me sound desparate.) THANKS!**


	7. Chapter 7

**Your reviews just melt my heart. I loved all of the ideas for the story. They really do help me and I'll do my best to incorporate some of them. Thank you so much for sharing your thoughts!**

**In case it's confusing, I would just like to explain a bit about the name change. There will be a lot of flipping between Mya and Hermione, because each name is a symbol of a part of her life and now those two parts are colliding. I'm trying to make it not so confusing but clearly if it's in Draco's point of view, she'll be called Hermione and if she's with her roommates, she's Mya. Hope that makes sense!**

**Disclaimer****: JK Rowling owns most of the characters and back-stories. If you don't recognize it from the Harry Potter books or anything else Rowling has published, then it belongs to me!**

* * *

**Chapter Seven**

The next morning was an early rise for everybody. Each girl woke, showered, and changed into their 'modeling' sweats. For Christmas a few years back, Jay got the four matching sweats in different colors. Each on consisted of black extra soft, comfy yoga pants with a colorful waist band and a color-matching personalized zip-up hoodie with their name on the left breast and a "Property of Jay" logo designed on the back. The set also included shorts with "Jay's Property" written across the butt but the girls reserved them for his birthday. When going to a job, it was important to show up as a clean slate, with a fresh face and comfortable clothes. The girls wore their sweats to every job.

Jeannette was let into the bustling apartment, watching her daughter and the other girls grab bags, shrink the racks of clothes, pack up breakfast, and make coffee. Within minutes, each girl had bags over shoulders, mugs in hand, and scones sticking out of their mouths. She smiled and kissed each on the cheek, wishing them a great day. Then they were gone and she was left with a quiet apartment and two sleeping kids. She grabbed a blanket and sprawled across the couch for a few more hours of sleep.

* * *

The four apparated right outside the school gates. Ray let go of Scar's arm and stumbled, holding her stomach. Mya rubbed her back soothingly as she got herself under control. "Ok, that majorly sucked. Can we not do that again?"

The other girls laughed. "You get used to it eventually." Ray's snort was covered by Jay, who had just noticed their arrival. Mya reviewed the group before sending a patronus to McGonagall. A few minutes later, the gates swung open and they filtered into a couple of horseless carriages. While her roommates and Jay gawked, Mya looked away from the dark thestrals only she could see. The carriages moved off down the way and soon the castle came looming into view, the sun just barely beginning to rise behind it. Mel linked arms with Mya and gazed up in awe. "You actually went to school here? It's so beautiful." Mya smiled and surveyed the scene.

"Yea…"

Waiting at the entrance was the Headmistress, wrapped in a thick, warm robe. Once the group unloaded she said a quick welcome and led them to a classroom just off the main entrance. Here they set up all the equipment, clothes, and stations necessary for the girls to get ready. McGonagall stood off the side for a few minutes but after a few reassuring words from Jay, she departed to her quarters. Mya got pulled into the preparations and quickly forgot that they were expecting another visitor.

While getting her hair done, there was a gasp to her left and Mel punched her in the arm. She turned to her in confusion, but Angeliika – with _two_ 'i's – jerked her head back towards the mirror. However she could see the cause for commotion reflected back in her view. Malfoy, dressed casually in jeans and a loose button up under his coat, spotted her and walked over. Jay watched him walk past and wiggled his eyebrows suggestively at Mya, to which she rolled her eyes.

"Granger, I apologize for being late. There was some stubbornness in my household that stalled me."

Mel piped up. "Oh I hope everything's alright!" When he glanced over at her, she extended her hand with a grin. "Melody Chrisley, nice to meet you. I'm one of the models." Using her other hand, she pointed to the white letters on the back of her hot pink hoody. He shook her hand.

"Draco Malfoy. It's a pleasure to meet you, Ms. Chrisley."

"Oh please, call me Mel."

"Then I insist you call me Draco."

The other two had made their way over to wait for their hair to get done. Mel quickly introduced them. "Well you know Mya Marie. The feisty redhead is Scarlett O'Rhiley. She goes by Scar, but don't let the sweet Irish accent fool you. She's a wild one." Scar rolled her eyes and acknowledged Malfoy. "And this is Ravena Bonnaire, but we call her Ray. She's French, but we forgive her." Ray snorted before smiling at Malfoy.

"Wow so we have France, Ireland, England, and American all under one roof. Sounds like a lovely mix of girls."

Mya met his eyes in the mirror. He faltered. "Malfoy, I hope I didn't cause you too much trouble. You really didn't need to be here so early. The beginning can really be quite boring."

He looked away and shuffled. "Nonsense, Granger. I'm here to work. I will be down in the kitchens getting some food prepared for you all. Nice to meet you ladies." He nodded to the group and slipped out of the room. Sensing the gossip, Jay quickly ran over. Mel began.

"Oh my god! He is not just fine, he is gorgeous! No wonder your children are beautiful. It's just not fair."

Jay screeched. "I knew it! I knew it the minute I saw him at our first meeting a week ago. The twins look just like him!"

"Okay you guys, shush! He has no idea about the twins and today is not the day to spring that on him. So you all need to calm down."

Scar smiled. "Well you're a damn lucky woman. That fine piece of ass was very much not hating you, wife or not."

Ray rolled her eyes. "I'd take him in a heartbeat. Girl, get it." Mya just dropped sighed and shook her head, Angeliika having moved on to work on Mel. "That's enough. You guys are pathetic and you don't know what you're talking about. So drop the subject now." The groupd huffed, but Mel simply rolled her eyes.

"I was told I could snoop, so snoop I will. By the end of today, I will know all the details: wife, kids, feelings for you. It's go time. But answer one question first. How good was he in bed? I mean I know it was a long time ago, but he looks like someone with a lot of natural skill.' Mya stood up and threw her hands in surrender, wiping her hands clean of all this business, before moving on to get ready. The girls just giggled as they were made up.

Mya was the first one to be filmed. While she, Jay, and his crew were out somewhere in the castle, the other three were left alone to gossip. They were cut short, however, when the topic of their gossip walked back in the door. Shifting a few things off a free wall, he levitated some long tables along the whole wall. Some house elves followed behind, snapping their fingers and table clothes covered in all kinds of food appeared. Ray jumped at their entrance and looked at the others in alarm. "Who are they?"

Her question got Malfoy's attention. Having not realized they were there, he quickly came over. "These are some of the house elves. They work in the kitchens and do some chores around the castle. Nothing to be alarmed about. They're really quite nice and just here to feed you."

Ray smiled. "Our apartment is very much magic-free. Mya never used any and these two tend to refrain for the most part. This is still a little crazy for me."

He nodded reassuringly. "Don't worry, I'm sure you'll get used to it soon. If you guys are hungry, there is plenty of things over there. I wasn't sure what you would like so I had the house elves prepare a varied spread."

Scar smiled, "That's so kind of you. Come sit down. It's Mya's turn so we're just sitting here waiting." He paused for a second the nodded and sat down. "Now tell us about yourself. Mya doesn't talk much about her past."

He stiffened at the comment about her, but carried on. "Well not a lot to say. We weren't the best of friends during school so I would be surprised if she said much. We actually hated each other for the first three or four years and then somehow worked out a way to deal with each other." The girls exchanged little knowing smiles. "After she left, after we all graduated, I got married, became a Healer. I have a son, who's seven. And that's about it. There's not a whole lot to tell."

Mel smiled. "Tell us about your wife and son. I'm sure you must have a lovely family." He jerked in surprise.

"I… I don't really… -" He was cut off by Mya's entrance. She bounced in, in her fitted Gryffindor robes, looking for something. Noticing the sudden silence, she looked up to see the small group all staring at her. She flushed.

"I… forgot my wand. Is everything ok?"

Malfoy hopped up. "Yes, everything's fine. Do you mind if I come see where you're filming? Your wand is right here." She cautiously took the wand from him, looking suspiciously between the three girls.

"Yea I suppose. We're in the Defense Against the Dark Arts room. We're hoping to film with the boggart that Professor Mylor has collected." The girls all hopped up with excitement, Ray showing a little confusion as well. "Why doesn't everyone come, I guess."

* * *

The day continued on, rather awkwardly. Malfoy stayed fairly silent, watching most of the time. Mya's roommates were so excited to see all of the castle that everybody traveled in a group rather than hang out in the classroom. The girls watched Mya and Malfoy like hawks, tracking their every movement. Few words were spoken between the two. During Ray's shoot in the library, he commented on how it seemed weird to not have Mya in the shot, to which she replied that she didn't want her Ravenclaw showing. He even helped out a bit during Mel's shoot, being a Slytherin himself. Jay tried to convince him to put on his uniform and hop in the shot but he felt that his face would not provide the right advertisement that they were aiming for.

Around lunchtime, Jay was showing Malfoy some of his other favorite photos, when a few more guests arrived.

"Harry! Ron!" Mya ran over and hugged the two guys that had just walked in. "What are you guys doing here?"

Harry shrugged. "I felt bad that I've been too busy to help out, so I wanted to stop by and see how everything's going." He nodded to Malfoy and Jay and walked over with Mya to the other models, Ron in tow.

"This is Mel, Scar, and Ray. Girls, this is Harry and Ron, my closest and best friends from Hogwarts." Ron smiled and flung his arm around her. The girls greeted them happily. While they chatted and enjoyed their lunches, Draco and Jay continued through more photos. Not paying much attention, Jay flicked onto a set of photos of the twins from a few years back. Draco stopped him.

"Who are they?"

Jay, realizing what he'd done, stuttered. "Oh just some kids I filmed a long time ago. They were total sweethearts, but their mother didn't want them model at such a young age. They're older now, but I'm still waiting for them to call me back. They had such potential." He quickly moved on, but Draco had those faces etched into his mind. Hearing a musical laugh, he looked up to see Hermione throw her head back in laughter. Watching her golden hair tumble back, he thought about those pictures of the little kids. Something was missing. He knew there was a connection and he was determined to find out.

* * *

Mya's career shoot was the last of the day. They were all up in the hospital wing and Malfoy was helping with some pose ideas. They kept trying shots, but Jay was not pleased with anything. Suddenly Ray piped up. "What if she was caring for a patient?"

Jay lit up immediately. "That's exactly what this is missing!" He turned to Malfoy. "The girls are already in so many of the shots. This one needs a man, bandaged up. Will you please help?"

Before he knew it, he was stripped and put in hospital pants, with bandages wrapped all around his bare torso and head. The make-up team went to work, adding bruises along with torso, around a bandaged 'slice' in his chest, fixing his arm in a sling, and giving him a beat up look on his face to match the head injury. Mya gulped and looked away, having a hard time not focusing on his very chiseled stomach and arms. Jay, on the other hand, had no shame.

"You are built for modeling. Look at those abs, perfect. You have to let me shoot you sometime. You would make me a very happy man."

Malfoy tried to brush him off, looking extremely uncomfortable. Scar came to his rescue. "Jay, now is not the time to recruit or gawk. You've got some film left and Draco's all ready. Why not put him in the scene and get back to work."

"Oh of course!" Malfoy was laid in one of the hospital beds with the pillows propped and the covers strategically arranged over his bottom half. Mya was posed above him, checking his bandages, feeling his arm, checking his blood pressure and heart rate, all things a Healer would do, and all things that brought her uncomfortable close to the half-naked man. The shoot could not end soon enough.

Once everyone was changed, packed up and ready to go, the castle showing no signs of their presence, McGonagall thanked them for their time and walked them out. She had made a few appearances during the day, but did her best to stay out of everyone's way. The sun was beginning its descent as they all loaded carriages and left Hogwarts. Jay, Mel, Scar, Ray, Mya, and Malfoy were all crowded into one carriage. Mya and Malfoy sat stiffly side by side as the others discussed dinner. Even though the house elves had kept them well-fed, they were always hungry, and now pizza appeared to be on the menu. Draco couldn't stop thinking about those kids in the pictures. Mya was going over and over his response about his wife and kids, that Mel had filled her in on during the day. As they all unloaded from the carriages, Jay thanked his team and soon it was just the five of them. Mel turned to the others.

"So what do you say? Pizza sound good for everyone? Draco? Would you like to join us?" He faltered for a second, pulled from his thoughts by the question.

"I'm flattered by the request but I'm afraid I must get home." He turned to Hermione. "Granger, I'll owl you soon to set up another meeting. There are things we must discuss, and begin to plan for the other events."

She nodded numbly, still lost in thought. As he turned to leave, she broke from her trance. "Wait, Malfoy. Would you mind meeting with me for a few minutes before you go home?" He nodded and she turned to the others. "I'll meet you guys at home. There are just some things I want to get figured out before I forget them." Jay and Ray grabbed hold of arms and they all blinked away. Then it was just the two of them. Malfoy looked at her confused.

"Is this a work or private matter?"

She gazed down at the ground. "I guess private. Do you think we could grab a drink in Hogsmeade and talk?" He shrugged and invited her to lead the way.

They headed for the Three Broomsticks in silence, ordering Butterbeers and finding a booth in the far back for privacy. The place was fairly quiet and no one gave the pair a second glance as they sat down.

"So…" Malfoy looked at her, guarded. She fidgeted in her seat and took a sip of her drink. "What exactly did you want to talk about?"

Hermione shrugged. "I just thought that since we'd be working together, it would be a good idea to try and clear the air." He nodded for her to continue. She took a breath. "So you're married with a son?"

He looked down. " – _Was_ married. She's not around anymore."

"Oh I'm so sorry. It's umm… nice to see that you, uuh… moved on…. umm… after, you know…. well I mean… I'm sorry to hear that…" She began to stutter, at a loss for words. She had been hoping to be wrong.

"I never moved on." This got her attention. "Astoria was my betrothed. She fell in love with my second cousin Regal. He got her pregnant, but her father refused to let her out of the marriage contract. Instead our wedding pushed up and I claimed the child as my own. Astoria never loved me, nor I her." He met her eyes across the table. "She tried leaving a few times, first with our baby and then eventually without. The contract was tied with magic and she would return crying of the pain. It is said that breaking a betrothed marriage brings forth magic that rips you limb from limb. One day not long after Scorpius' second birthday, she disappeared, along with Regal, for good this time. We never found them and it can only be assumed that the betrayal killed them both. Now it's just me and my son. Scorpius is seven and he is very much my child. I've raised him and no one can say otherwise. I am his father and he is my son."

Hermione sat for a moment, processing his story. Draco took a sip and cleared his throat. "Now it's your turn. While Jay was showing me his pictures today, we came across the twins. He tried to cover for you, quickly changing the subject, but I know they're yours. I didn't need a long look to see the resemblance. They have to be connected to you."

She swallowed nervously. _Tell him._ "They are mine. I wouldn't dream of ever denying it."

"But you live with Mel, Ray, and Scar, so where are the kids? And where is their father?"

"It's the six of us in a penthouse in downtown London. Their father – " _Tell him._ " – and I broke up before they were born. I never told him I was pregnant and now it's been so long… I don't…" _Tell Him!_

"It's never too late."

"I know." _Tell Him!_

"I just need to know one more thing…. You left. I just… Why did you leave? Was it me? I just…. I just need to know."

She nodded and sipped her drink, stalling. _Tell Him._ "Do you remember that night in January? Before it all fell to pieces?" He gazed at her with such intensity, remembering the night. _Tell Him! _"At that moment I thought everything was going to be fine. I was convince it would all work out ok."

"You left because of me."

"I left because of everything, and because of you." She pulled up her sleeve, tracing her finger down her forearm. Slowly the spells released and a scar appeared. 'Mudblood' was scrawled roughly across her porcelain skin. It took everything he had to not look away. "She held me to the floor and carved this into me. I will always remember that. You stood there and watched. I will never be able to forget that. Your family clung to you and I clung to the hope that it was all for a reason, that you just stood there for a reason. Logic would tell me there was nothing you could have done that wouldn't have killed us all, but when has logic won over a broken heart to a seventeen year old girl.

"Then the battle arrived. We fought hard, we fought valiantly, and for a time you were right by my side. I thought, 'This was it. You were with me and together we were unstoppable.' Then Harry died and when Voldemort –" Draco flinched at the name. " – when Voldemort called us to join him…. you went. Your father called you, 'Draco, come' and you were there. I was alone. You had abandoned me. Over the years, I've thought about what made you do it. I know now that you never would have been able to fight on my side, but it still doesn't change the hurt, the pain when you walked away. I didn't see you in the rest of the fight. I did my best to avoid you, so that I wouldn't have to hurt you.

"But in the end, I was broken and angry. Angry at myself for trusting, angry at you for leaving, and angry at the world for giving you no other option. I couldn't handle it anymore. I couldn't mourn, I couldn't celebrate. I had to leave the world and everything attached, everything it stood for behind." _TELL HIM!_ "I had more than myself to worry about."

She stopped, tears running down her face. He watched her carefully, trying to understand what she said, why she did what she did. "I don't…." He was at a loss for words. She fumbled in her purse for her wallet, pulling out a small picture taken a few months ago. He looked down at the faces of two beautiful children. The boy had her golden brown hair but was straight as a bone, falling in his face like Draco's used to. Hiding beneath was his face with her nose, his lips with her smile. The girl had her long soft curls in his platinum blonde. It was his face as well with her nose, but her lips this time with just a hint of his smirk. The freckles on both were definitely hers, and the sparkle in their eyes, but they had his coloring, and the color of their eyes was the perfect mix of her luscious brown and his icy blue. He had missed it the first time, distracted by the thought of her with another man, but there was no denying it now. They were his as well. He thought about how she answered the question about their father, about him. "You were pregnant when you left. That night in January… you were four months pregnant when you left."

"I didn't know when I was at the Manor. I found out just after that, while recovering from what happened. And then it was too late."

"It's never too late." She looked up at his icy tone. "You kept this from me. My own children. You knew why I had to do what I did, and yet you still punished me for it, leaving me behind and taking them with you."

"I didn't understand at the time. I still don't understand. It wasn't an easy choice, but I do not regret it."

"How can you say that?" He slammed his fist down on the table, making her jump. Beneath his stone mask, tears were threatening to spill. "I missed ten years all because of you. You took the easy way out, running and in doing so, took my choice away. Do they know what you did? Have you even mentioned me to them? I can't even begin to imagine the stories you could have fed them to justify yourself. I just… I can't believe it."

She slammed her hand down, standing in anger. "Don't you dare say those things. Don't you even imply that I was anything but a good mother. Everything I do, everything I have done has been for those children, MY children. I cared for them, I raised them, and Damn IT! I protected them with my entire being. Here wasn't safe. YOU weren't safe. And I'll be damned if you try to tell me otherwise."

He stood, as well, towering and looming over her tearstained face. "Say what you will to ease your guilt, but the truth is that you ran because you were scared and you had no right nor reason to hide. They are my children, too, and to imply my lack of claim because I wasn't there only points the blame back on you for hiding them from me."

She gaped at him in anger before grabbing her bag and stepping away from the table. "I do not regret a second of what I have done for them. I am their mother and I love them. After this, you're delusional if you think I'll let you see them. You don't even know their names, their birthdays." She turned to walk away.

"My lack of knowledge is entirely rooted in your hesitation to tell me."

She looked over her shoulder for a second. "Maybe you should have asked before accusing me of treason." He collapsed in his seat as the door swung shut. Placing his head in his hands, he strained for any last strand of control before leaving as well, apparating home to cry his pain in private.

* * *

**Ah, so much craziness. I hope you guys don't hate me too much for how that turned out. I've been on a roll, ignoring schoolwork to write. Hopefully, I'll be able to pull together one more chapter before delving back into my studies because I want you to get a better sense of the aftermath. **

**I love you all and keep REVIEWING!**


	8. Chapter 8

**You guys, I am so sorry! School has been kicking my butt and this chapter took forever to write. I'm doing my best to keep up and I promise you won't be abandoned, but I'm warning everyone now. The chapters make take longer now. I will try to compensate with longer chapters, but no guarantees. Thank you for sticking with me and I apologize for the crazy life I lead. Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer****: JK Rowling owns most of the characters and back-stories. If you don't recognize it from the Harry Potter books or anything else Rowling has published, then it belongs to me!**

* * *

**Chapter Eight**

Hermione let out one last sob and covered the evidence of her tears with a little makeup before quietly opening the door. She was met with the scent of pizza and the sounds of laughter. "Mum?" The kids poked their heads around the corner from the kitchen.

She smiled. "I see you started without me." Moving into the kitchen, she was handed a plate full of pepperoni pizza. "Thanks, but I'm not that hungry." Cham frowned, watching her mum put back all but one slice. She and Cae exchanged looks before studying her face a little more.

"Mum, what's wrong?"

"You've been crying."

Hermione stuttered patting at her eyes. The rest of the group moved from the living room to gather around her with worry. She brushed off their concern slowly eating her pizza. They all continued to watch her, waiting. "You know my eyes leak when I'm angry. Malfoy and I have yet to survive an encounter with each other without fighting. We sat down, we talked, we fought, and I left. It happens every time. It's nothing to worry about."

Mel squeezed her arm. "Did you talk about… you know?"

Mya glanced at the kids. Scar plopped more pizza slices on their plates and ushered them out of the room. "Why don't you go to your playroom? I know you got new video games today." Knowing they were being kicked out, they quickly and quietly complied, exchanging worried glances. Once the playroom door shut, Scar turned back to Mya, who sat on the counter and began.

"He explained his situation. His wife left when their son was two. Now it's just him and Scorpius, who's seven. The boy isn't biologically his. She had gotten pregnant with another man and since she was betrothed to him, he stepped up to claim the baby as his own."

The four swooned a little. Jay clutched his heart and exclaimed. "Dear Lord, help me. He's perfectly perfect in every way!" Mya smiled sadly and nodded.

"Where do you think the kids get it? I told him about them, a little bit about why I left, and… I really messed up. He flipped out, had every reason to get angry, and I stopped thinking. I just got so defensive and he started yelling, I yelled back. I ended up walking out on him. It was so horrible." Mel squeezed her knee reassuringly. "No, don't. Don't tell me it's all okay, that everything is going to work out. You don't know that. I really messed things up, both when I left and now coming back. I'm just doing it all wrong."

They all exchanged looks, unsure of what to say. A crash at the window interrupted the moment. Cham and Cae came running out of the hallway. "Is that what I think it is?" Mya jumped off the counter and ran onto the balcony. Ray looked at the kids curiously.

"How are you two suddenly such experts?" They exchanged looks and shrugged before directing their attention back to their mum. Mya came back inside cradling a disheveled feather duster of an owl with a letter attached to his leg. While untying the letter and struggling to get the bird to stand on her arm, she kept muttering things like "_O Errol_," and "_Why aren't you dead?_" Clearly she was very familiar with the bird. Once he was settled, she began to read the letter. The rest watched silently as a small smile slowly spread across her face. This letter was clearly a good one.

Finally she looked up to the kids with a grin. "My darlings, how do you feel about getting a better look at the wizarding world tomorrow?" They exchanged excited looks. "Great! We're going to the Weasley's for their weekly family dinner. It was definitely be crazy, but good, I promise!"

* * *

Mya groggily rolled out of bed, after a sleepless night. She was so excited to see all of the Weasleys, but she was freaking out about introducing the kids and explaining about their dad. Plus, she couldn't get her argument with Draco out of her head. There was so much wrong, but she tried her best to not show it. She realized that before going to dinner, the kids would need some explanations about… well… everything.

She stumbled down the stairs, wrapping a sweater around her frame. Scar was sin the studio practicing, Mel and Ray were at the club and the twins were in their playroom. She knocked on the door before opening it and peering in. Cham lay upside down on the couch next to Cae, racing him in Mario Kart.

"Can't talk now, Mum. She's beating me upside down!" Cham let out a big laugh and proceeded to know his Mario off the rainbow track. She was quite the devilish Princess Peach. Mya sat on the floor, leaning back against the couch, and waited for the race to end. Cham won by a mile while Cae ended up in 7th. He looked at his sister angrily. "You were well in the lead. Was it necessary to keep pushing me off the track?"

Cham just giggled and looked at her mum. "Did you want to talk to us about something?" She twisted so that she was right side up and Mya turned to face them.

"I just wanted to give you a little heads up before we head to dinner. I know I let you go to Lykans, but I haven't really told you about my life before you two came along. During school, I had two best friends, Harry Potter and Ron Weasley. Now Ron is the youngest boy in a family of seven. He's got one sister, Ginny who's a year younger than him, and the rest are boys. It's a big family. Mrs. Weasley took in Harry and I and became like a second mother to me. I spent most of my summers there and a few holiday breaks. They really are my family, and yours too. I'm just warning you because you are used to chaos around here, but it's nothing compared to a Weasley gathering. We grew up at the Burrow, this teetering, towering house that looks like it should fall over but doesn't. Now every Sunday, the kids come back, with their wives and all their children and spend the evening eating lots of food and running around. There will be a good thirty people there, all loud and crazy. It's a new experience for you, but I guarantee you'll learn to love it. Remember our rule?"

"Never judge a book by its cover – "

"Never judge a book by its cover – "

" –only the ignorant let that stop them."

" – you may be surprised by what you find."

She smiled and kissed each forehead as she rose to leave. "Don't play too long. We have to be there by three. I'll only make you a snack for lunch because you'll want lots of room for dinner." They mumbled their replies, returning to their next race, as she closed the door behind her. Cham waited to hear her mother's footsteps leave before re-pausing the game. Her brother cried his protest, but the look on her face quickly quieted him.

"Crux…"

He made a face of disgust. "You know I hate it when you call me that. Even Mum never uses our second middle names, unless we're in really, really big trouble." She didn't smile. "Ok fine, _Lya_, what's wrong?"

"It's **Ca**lya."

"I like Lya better."

She rolled her eyes. "Do you ever wish magic wasn't real?" He looked at her, concerned. "Just hear me out. If we never got our magic, Mum wouldn't have had to send us to Lykan, she would never have had to go back. Our father would still be some long forgotten mystery man and Mum would be happier."

Cae sighed. "You know that's not true. If magic wasn't real, Mum and Dad would never have met and we wouldn't exist. Besides Mum's been unhappy for a long time." Cham looked up confused. "I think she still loves our dad and that's why this is so hard. I mean, think about it. She never really dates, especially no second dates. She's clearly not invested because she hasn't moved on."

"Where in the world do you get that kind of stuff, smarty-pants?"

Cae looked down sheepishly. "I ran out of stuff to read so I started on some of Mum's girly books. But don't tell her! They were weird and I didn't like them. I just noticed a lot of the main characters were like Mum."

"I won't tell, but that's still weird." She sighed. "I'm just scared for tonight."

"Why?"

"It's such a big family, full of kids who know all about magic and that world. Everyone knows Mum from before us. Sometimes I feel like she was somebody completely different back then."

Cae nodded. "I think people are suppose to change when they have kids. But she said they all have kids, too, so she can't be the only one that's different. I think it could be exciting. We don't really know about the magical world, but I bet they don't know anything about the muggle world either. We can trade."

She nodded. "Ok, if you say so. I guess we can go back to the race now. I'm in the mood to kick your butt."

Cae scoffed. "As if!" They unpaused the game just in time to see poor little Mario fly off the edge. Cham's screech of laughter echoed through the whole apartment.

* * *

"Mum, are you ready yet?" Cae waited patiently at the bottom of the stairs. Mel came down with a towel wrapped around her bathing suit.

"You know your mother. She has to make sure it's perfect."

Cae rolled his eyes. "I know. Cham's the same way. That's why I'm the only one ready." Mel laughed and joined the other two already sunbathing on the balcony. It was a hot summer Sunday and Cae stood tugging on his button up. He didn't like sleeves in this weather, even short ones, but Mum said he had to look nice. Therefore he had on khaki cargo shorts instead of basketball shorts, and he'd covered up his 'T-Rex hates pushups tank with a matching blue plaid button-up. He even ditched his flip-flops for blue skater shoes. Finally, his mum came down the stairs, holding three pairs of shoes.

"Mum, it's after three. We're late!"

"I know, just give me a moment." She ran out onto the balcony and held up the shoes. "Ok, which ones?"

Mel scanned her over. Her hair was pulled up into a strategically messy ponytail with the shorter layers framing her face. Her makeup was soft and natural, making her eyes extra doe-like and her lips extra pouty. She wore a lace, cream tank tucked into dark, high-waisted shorts with jewels over the pockets. Over top was a red plaid button-up left open with the sleeves rolled up and one side loosely tucked into the front of her shorts. She help up black combat boots, white vans, and red high-top Converse. Mel laid back down while Scar answered. "Converse, bend the tops, The inside matches your shirt."

"Thank you!"

She ran back inside, sliding her shoes on. At the same time Cham came running out, putting on pink high-tops. She stopped and looked at her brother and mother before screaming her frustration and running back into her room. Cae threw his arms up in frustration, while Mya chased after her.

"Does no one care that we're late?"

"I refuse to show up in matching outfits. Why did no one mention they would be wearing plaid? Or Converse for that matter?"

Mya banged on her door. "Chammy, we do not have time for you to change your whole outfit. Let's go!" The girl reappeared in white Keds, with a flowy pink tank loosely tucked into the front of her bleached, bejeweled high-waisted shorts. Mya ran back to the living room, grabbed her small shoulder bag, with Cham trailing behind her, trying to tie a ribbon in her hair, snow white style. Cae just stood there, leaning against the railing with his arms crossed. Mya look at him impatiently. "Cae, let's go!"

He threw up his arms in protest, racing out the door in front of the other two. "Sure, I'm ready first and get in trouble for holding us up. What is wrong with girls?"

Cham stuck her tongue out at him while Mya yelled goodbye and shut the door. Turning to her kids, she held out her hands. They looked at her with confusion. "Each of you grab my hand and don't let go. We're not connected to the Floo network so I'm going to apparate us there. Now hold tight so I don't leave any part of you behind." The kids quickly squeezed her hands and in a blink of an eye they were gone.

* * *

They stood on the edge of a field staring up at a toweringly tilted house. It defied gravity with its mismatched levels and wonky rooms. Mya smiled with tears in her eyes. The Burrow had taken a lot of damage during the war but it had been repaired just as wonderfully as it was before. Cham tugged on her hand. "Mum? Are we sure it's safe?"

Mya threw her head back and laughed. The kids exchanged looks before gazing back up that house, questioning their mother's sanity. Wiping the tears away, she hugged her kids to her. "I've never felt safer than when I am here. I promise you'll love it." She took their hands, inhaled deeply and walked to the door. Her knock was interrupted by some screams and a dog barking. Cae looked at his mum and sister skeptically.

"What did you get us into?"

Mya's retort was cut off by the door being thrown open, revealing a short plump woman with kind brown eyes and flaming red hair streaked with grey. She took one look at Mya and pulled her into a long enveloping squeeze, dragging the taller woman down to her size. "Oh Hermione, sweetie!" She pulled back and grabbed Mya's hands. "It's been too long. Look at you, so skinny!" Back into the hug they went. "What a gorgeous woman you've become. Oh, welcome home!"

The older woman finally noticed the twins flanking Mya's sides. "Oh my!" She looked up at Mya before slowly taking in each child. Mya wrapped her arms around them, bringing them in front of her. "Molly, I'd like you to meet my kids. This is Chameron and Caelum. Guys, meet my other mother, Molly Weasley."

Molly stood back, shocked, with her hands over her mouth. The kids extended their hands politely. "Nice to meet you, Mrs. Weasley."

"Everyone calls me just Cham."

" – and me Cae."

Their introduction broke her trance. She quickly pulled them into a hug as well. "Oh you are sweet! Please, you don't need to call me Mrs. Weasley. Your mother is one of my own. You may call me Molly or Grandma, whatever you wish." Stepping back she ushered them inside. "Well come in, come in! The whole family's been waiting for you!"

They followed Molly in to the living room. Entering the room, the kids fell back behind their mother, hugging the doorway. The room was overflowing with redheads of all ages, sprinkled here and there with other hair colors. It was chaotic and loud, people yelling at each other, kids running in and out with broomsticks and a few animals weaving between legs. In one corner, a black-haired man in round glasses stood scolding a boy with bright teal hair and a dog's snout and ears. He lowered his gaze and his features became human again. The man looked up. "Hermione!"

"Harry!" Suddenly, all eyes were on them. Many of the adults rushed forward, one after another pulling Mya into tights hugs, patting her on the back. It was one big happy reunion. The twins shrunk as far into the wall as they could get, watching the madness ensue. People kept talking, asking questions, introducing spouses, trying to match names to the faces surrounding the room. As the chaos quieted a little, Mya found their hiding spot. "Kids, come over here." The room was quiet as everyone took in the two kids running to their mom, as they took in the eyes and the hair, the familiar way they stood and walked. Mya knelt down in front of them, and took hold of their hands. "You're ok, kiddos. No one bites. " She smiled at the skeptical looks they gave her. "I want to introduce you to my friends. This is Harry and Ron, my best friends from school. And that is Ginny, my best girlfriend and Harry's wife. This is Lavendar, Ron's wife. Then we have Fred and George, they're twins, too and…." She rattled off name after name, getting all of the adults and even some of the kids. "Don't worry, it'll take some time to remember them all. I'm clearly still working on some of the kids names. What can I say, my memory's not what it used to be." Cae snorted and a few of the guys snickered. "Anyway! Everyone, I would like you to meet my kids. This is Chameron and Caelum."

Cham made a face. "Why do you always introduce us like that? Please don't call me Chameron. It's just Cham and he's Cae." One of the redheads laughed.

"I hear ya. There is nothing worse than getting called Ginevra, when I go by Ginny."

Molly threw her hands on her hips. "Excuse you! I gave you that name because I liked it. Therefore I will use it when I wish. You act as if I named you that just to torment you. You should know now, as a mother, that the name isn't meant for torment. Everything else is."

Laughter broke out across the room. Mya joined in. "You know I say the same thing. I think they have beautiful names, but they do nothing but argue." Cae rolled his eyes.

"Mum, what child needs a million middle names?"

"Yea and they couldn't just be normal names? No like Jane, or Marie? You just had to go with constellations. I'm positive you did that to be difficult."

"You're right. I'm sorry you were blessed with such beautifully intricate names that have lovely and simple nicknames. Your lives must be ruined."

"You're not the one that has to learn how to sign her entire name when you can barely spell one middle name. I mean could you put any more letters in the thing? I have to stop in the middle of the word for more ink, my hand cramps up. You did that on purpose."

"Oh Cham, really. You are such a drama queen. That did not come from me."

"I know, I know. I take after my father."

Their audience had been laughing along during the whole mother-daughter exchange, but Cham's last line brought silence. They were all reminded of the elephant in the room, the twin's dad. Harry jumped up. "Hey kids, have you ever seen a Quidditch pitch?"

Cae looked at him confused. "What's Quidditch?"

Harry continued. "Teddy will be more than happy to explain it to you!" He pushed the shocked little boy forward, capturing his attention. "Teddy, take them outside. You can show them around and introduce them to the rest of the kids." Cae and Cham looked up at their mum hesitantly. Mya smiled.

"That's a great idea. Go outside and play. You'll have fun." All the kids were ushered outside, following Teddy. Soon the adults were left alone. Mya – Hermione stood by the fireplace, under the gaze of everyone in the room. Ron sat on the arm of a couch and shrugged.

"I don't even know where to begin with any of this."

Hermione laughed. "That's you and me both."

Ginny chuckled. "Well they are certainly something. And I understand not telling us during the reunion, but this is just… Does he know? Malfoy?" People began to shift uncomfortably, hearing his name. There was no denying he was the father, but saying it out loud made it real. "Have you talked to him about all this?"

Hermione shifted from foot to foot, not sure how to explain. "We've talked…." She looked up and met Gin's expectant gaze. "It didn't go very well, but he knows. I don't know how he's taking it now, because I messed up, we got into a fight and I stormed off. Every conversation we've had since I came back ends in a fight and someone running off." She sat down on an ottoman, looking defeated. "It feels like school all over again."

Fred snorted. "Mione, those kids you've got are proof that you and Malfoy didn't fight every time you were together. Something else happened." He wiggled his eyebrows suggestively.

Ron slammed his fist down on an end table. Molly stood up in protest. "Ronald Weasley, I will not have you tearing apart my living room or beating up my furniture. Control yourself." He looked at Harry and took a deep breath before speaking.

"Malfoy! I don't understand. How could this have happened? It's Malfoy!" He shook with anger. Lavender moved next to him, wrapping an arm around his shoulders to calm him down. Molly took charge.

"Hermione, dear, we've got some time before dinner's ready. Why don't you start from the beginning." Mione nodded slowly and looked around for support. Ginny sat down on the floor next to her and took her hand, squeezing it gently.

"Well I guess it started in 4th year, the night of the Yule Ball. After our fight, Ron, I ended up just sitting on a staircase in tears. Dr–Mal– He saw me and for some unknown reason tried to comfort me." She laughed. "Man was he terrible at it, about as bad as Ron always was. He just sat next to me, silent. I waited for an insult, for anything, but nothing came. He didn't say anything, just sat there until I'd stopped. It was weird and I didn't know what to do so I ran. That was the first time he was nice to me."

"I tried avoided him for a while. It didn't work all that well, but he wasn't going out of his way to insult me so everything was ok. But about a week later, he stumbled upon my dance studio in the Room of Requirement. He just watched me dance, tried to talk to me afterwards, but we got into a fight and I slapped him." Harry snorted. "That was kind of the pattern for a while. We avoided each other during the day, when we were surrounded by others, but for some reason he kept finding me when I was alone, kept trying to talk to me. Eventually we found ways to calm down after arguments and continue talking, we had things in common and we became secret friends.

"We spent that next summer owling each other every day and when we got back to school, we tried hanging out again. The time apart had helped the fighting and we were able to just spend time together. We studied, helped each other with homework. He taught me spells and helped me with my dancing, I taught him about muggle things. We complained about parents and Umbridge, and he vented all the things he really felt and couldn't let the world know. I couldn't tell you when it happened. It was like one day I was slapping him and the next I had fallen for him. There was a very different side to him, one he only showed me."

She looked up at all the faces, silently begging them to believe her, and hesitant to continue. Ron wouldn't look at her, but Molly encouraged her to go on so with a squeeze of her hand from Gin, she talked.

"It took him a while, but he finally asked me out in March. He planned this big romantic date where everything went wrong, we fought, and I slapped him at the end. He needed time to recover after that and it took him about a month and a half to try again. But by the end of the school year, we were a couple."

"With everything else going on, I don't know how we made it. During 6th year, we fell in love. I knew he was hiding something but I was so head over heels for him that it didn't seem to matter. When everything was revealed, we fell apart. With Dumbledore's death, him being a Death Eater, all these things he'd hid from me, I felt betrayed, used, and my heart was in pieces. I never wanted to see him again…."

Hermione trailed off, remembering the pain of everything. Harry touched her shoulder and spoke up. "But you did see him again. Something happened in January." She nodded.

"At the end of the summer, he reached out to me. In the beginning I wouldn't listen. I kept returning his letters unopened, ignoring his messages. But I couldn't ignore him forever. I still loved him and his messages said he needed me. He told me about everything, all the plans, all the torture. He was falling apart and talking to me was the only thing keeping him together. He just kept warning me to stay safe, wouldn't even let me tell him where I was. After Christmas and our fight in Godric's Hollow, we had a fight. He was so furious that I'd done something to put myself in harm's way. I tried to reassure him that I was fine, but he just wouldn't listen. We made plans to meet one night. It was just supposed to be a short meeting. I waited for Harry to fall asleep and then slipped out and through the wards. We met not far from camp, but he had no idea how close I was. I apparated over to him. We had met up to yell at each other, make sure we were both in one piece. And we did. The yelling was intense and loud. He was so furious and that made me just as livid. But in his anger, he let something slip… He told me he loved me. That was the first time he had ever said and I realized I still loved him as well. We got caught up in the moment and carried away. We spent the whole night together, and I had to sneak back to our camp. I picked up firewood on the way and said I had gotten up early."

Harry looked at her dumbstruck. "I thought something was off. You were positively glowing and collecting firewood had always been my job. But you were so persistent; you had me convinced I was being paranoid. I can't believe I was actually right!"

The room was quiet as they all tried to process the strange love story. Finally Ron spoke up. "What about after that? We saw him at the manor and during the battle. If you were so in love why did you leave everything behind?"

Hermione sighed. "After our night together, I stopped hearing from him. I tried to tell myself it was all okay, but I couldn't stop feeling hurt. The next time I saw him was at the Manor. He stood there, looking down on me, watching while I was tortured and did nothing. My heart shattered and I knew I couldn't trust him. It was at Shell Cottage, right after, that I found out I was pregnant. With everything going on, I didn't know how to tell anyone or what to do. I had nightmares of him and his family finding out about the baby – well babies, but I didn't know yet that it was twins – nightmares that they would come and take my baby away, to raise like a proper Malfoy, or that they would kill me and the baby so that nothing tarnished the Malfoy name. When the battle began, I was terrified that I would see him; that I would have to fight him. I came across one Death Eater that somehow knew I was pregnant. She taunted me about the baby, about the Malfoy line, about everything my child would face because of my mistake. She voiced all my nightmares and then got away. I couldn't kill her. That was when I began to think of leaving. But then he appeared in the Room of Requirements, when Harry saved him. Seeing him made me forget to a moment everything that happened. When the first fight was called off, I went to talk to him, but he had disappeared."

Gin gave a little gasp of understanding. "I can't believe I forgot about that. He had been helping us until…"

" … until Voldemort showed up with Harry's body, calling people to join his side. Lucius called for him and he came, he walked right past me and switched sides. He had left me again. I was so crushed, I knew I couldn't stay. I couldn't be in this world with him, because everything that woman said would come true. I had to protect my baby. My seventeen-year-old self saw running away as the easiest option. So that's what I did, I disappeared."

Harry wrapped his arms around her. Ron just shook his head. "I don't like it or him. I don't really understand how you could have fallen for that git in the first place and I want to punch him for how he hurt you. But there is a positive side."

Gin looked at him suspiciously. "And what exactly is the upside to that story?"

"I've spent ten years thinking it was my fault she ran, but really I can blame it on the ferret. Just another reason why I don't like him."

George laughed. "I probably wouldn't bring this up to him just yet. He only just found out about the kids. I'd let him adjust before you start your taunting or else he could destroy you. Don't argue, you know it's true."

Ron shrugged. "Fine, if you think that's best." He walked over and pulled Hermione off the ottoman, wrapping his arms around her. "You never should have felt so alone. Never forget we are here for you. You're my family and I can't have you leaving us again, no matter what the ferret face does. We'll protect you and those darling children."

Hermione blinked away tears and hugged him back tightly. Soon she was surrounded by people hugging her. Her family was there for her, always would be. They would protect forever.

* * *

**Thanks for reading! Let me know what you think. PLEASE REVIEW! I really appreciate it **


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